Bowling For Dollars

I went bowling last weekend with friends at the Rip Van Winkle Bowling Alley in Norwalk, CT.

As usual, it was fabulously fun, with lots of high fives, good laughs and a fair amount of friendly competition. I was wearing my favorite bowling shoes (yes, I have my own bowling shoes!) and having a pretty good time all around.

At one point while waiting for my turn to bowl, I happened to look at the scoreboard and read everyone’s scores. That’s when it struck me: bowling scoring is amazing.

Think about it. If you get 9 out of 10 pins in all 10 frames (90% of the possible pins in the game) your score is 90. If, on the other hand, you get 10 pins (with one throw) in all 10 frames, your score is 300!

It’s an exponentially different outcome with just a 10% difference in play.

In my experience, many of my clients have the same potential regarding their businesses. Just a little increase in the way they “play” can result in a big difference when it comes to results. Here as well, it’s all about leverage – the leverage that a small business can gain by attaining that last 10%.

It’s not easy, but it’s worth it.

Here are three suggestions to help you with this process:

1. Get the Big Picture. This is where a lot of small business owners make their first mistake, and it’s a fatal one if you’re going for the last 10%. They jump into the details of a project without understanding how all the pieces fit together. What later happens is that they end up with rework, mistakes or an inability to even identify where the last 10% lives.

When you look at the project as a whole it gives you the chance to design it from 50,000 feet and see it from all points of view. If you make decisions from the middle of the details, the inclination is to work on what’s in front of you, limiting your vision.

2. Dive into the Details. This phase is ripe for scooping up the last 10%. Once you have the big picture, divide the project into high – level categories and list all the steps you’ll need to take to accomplish each part of the project. Be sure to list each action item separately, in the order you’ll be executing them. As you write the steps, take time to think about how one step might influence another.

Track your progress using a project plan. This can be as simple as a handwritten list or an Excel spreadsheet. By listing the actions and checking them off as you go, you’re more likely to get that last 10% every step of the way.

3. Do One Thing at a Time. Multi-tasking might feel as if you’re getting a lot done, but study after study has shown that switching from one thing to the next is inefficient and makes you prone to error.

Instead of switching all over the place from task to task, set aside chunks of time when you can focus and work your way down, from beginning to end, on a particular task. You’ll get more done and feel more satisfied along the way.

Little things can make a big difference – the difference between a good business and a great one. Keep these three simple ideas in mind the next time you go to the office…or go bowling (sorry, you can’t borrow my shoes).