I’ve never been one to make sweeping changes in a sudden burst of enthusiasm.
But don’t misunderstand, when change has a reasonable chance for success and improvement, you can count me in.
I’ve been thinking about change and how to get a little more done each day in my business without snorting, rearing and getting white-eyed around the people close to me.
You probably know overcharged change artists who start acting like completely different people when they decide abruptly to do things differently. They become whirlwinds of drama to change behavior and expect immediate results and gratification.
The business and home climate is filled with sprinting movement, rapid talking and a manifesto of new rules and ideas to live by. It’s a theatrical melodrama for others viewing from backstage.
Passionate soliloquies, emotional gestures and much weeping and gnashing of teeth just aren’t my style, so I’ve been thinking about the process of change in terms of one of my favorite fractions.
It’s 10%, ten percent, 1/10, one tenth or even ten one hundredths.
Say it any way you like, ten percent is:
- a decent return on investment,
- a fair commission rate,
- an OK employee turnover rate;
- a good discount rate,
- an acceptable party guest no-show rate,
- a fair vacancy rate and,
- just an all around reliable percentage.
I’ve been thinking about getting more done for about ten percent of my “freewheeling thinking” time today and came up with a 10 percent theory for increasing productivity.
What if you:
- keyboarded 10% faster
- answered the phone 10% faster
- ended conversations 10% faster
- made decisions 10% quicker
- gave instructions 10% faster
- angered 10% slower
- spoke with 10% fewer words
- started work 10% earlier and quit 10% sooner
- increased your network of business alliances by 10% each month
Or you could try to:
- reduce expenses by 10%
- increase sales by 10% each quarter
- give 10% more compliments
- give 10% less criticism
- smile 10% more each day
- eat 10% less fat
- drink 10% more water
It sure sounds more doable than the alternatives for making changes. You fill in the blanks for your horse business:
- Increase outdated boarding, lesson, training rates by 10%
- Increased the number of students in lesson program by 10%
- Gave clients 10% more customer service
- _________________________________
- _________________________________
- _________________________________
No doubling, tripling or home runs required.
Just 10% more.