The Power of Small Tweaks
Around five years ago my wife Deb, our beautiful boy Abe and I did the trek to Mount Everest Base Camp in sensational Nepal. It was a breathtaking and magical experience that brought us even closer together as a family. Nature can do that to you.
On the ascent, despite the natural beauty surrounding me, there were times when I couldn’t look up. All I could focus on was the brown leather, much loved, much beaten, yak poo encased walking boots of our Sherpa (Nepalese guide) Shekar. I just kept walking. It was hard going.
Every few hours, and much to my relief, Shekar would say his favourite word “relax” and we’d stop, guzzle on our water bottles and look down to the valley to see where we had come from.
Each time we paused to rest, it blew me away to see just how far we had hiked.
We reached just below Base Camp climbing to around 5000 metres. I couldn’t believe it. How did we do it? Well, as corny as it sounds, one step at a time.
That’s the power of small steps or what we at The Human Enterprise call “small tweaks”. Small actions or steps done over time, magnified that lead to BIG RESULTS.
Now let me get really, really clear here. I’m not saying set small goals. Far from it. Climbing to Mt Everest was a BIG goal for the family but it was accomplished one step (tweak) at a time. But maybe Everest is not your bag…
A Financial Small Tweak
Want to be a millionaire? You can do it through a “step change”, like winning the lottery. Or, through small tweaks.
Interested?
Look at the two tables below. They don’t take into account inflation, your tax or economic ups and downs but I’m sure you’ll get the idea.
How the Investment of Only One Dollar Per Day Grows Into $1,000,000 ($30 a Month)
A Dollar A Day Invested At Various Interest Rates for 66 Years
From “The One Minute Millionaire”
By Mark Victor Hansen and Robert G. Allen
Perhaps making lots of money is not your goal either. Well here are some examples for your personal and professional life…
Personal Small Tweaks
Fitness:
Say you work in a multi story building. Why not take the stairs to your office – or at least some of them – once a day. You’ll be amazed at how much easier those stairs can get.
Personal Relationships:
Commit to showing one small piece of gratitude to your partner each week. So for example; “I really appreciate the way you…” You’ll be amazed at how great the relationship gets and how grateful you become.
Home Maintenance:
Commit to 15 minutes maintenance on your home every weekend. Within 3 months you’ll amaze yourself at how much extra you do and how wonderful your home looks.
Professional Small Tweaks
Client Services:
Do one small thing for one client each week. Send them an article that might interest them, make a call and check they’re ok. You’ll be amazed at the fantastic relationships you build over time.
Team Meetings:
Start each meeting with everyone sharing some small “win” about their week or, better still, a small recognition or credit directed at one of their peers. You’d be amazed at the difference this can make to team morale over time.
Expense Management:
For every new expense jut ask; “Do we really need this?” Have we already got some of this somewhere?” You’d be amazed at what you don’t have to purchase and the cost savings over time.
These are just some examples. I’m sure you can think of some small tweaks you can start applying right away.
Why are small tweaks so powerful?
1. They cause innovation:
There are many ways to innovate. One is called a “step change”; a major change in what you do or produce. Like Virgin going from records to airlines to mobile phones.
Then there are small tweaks, what the Japanese call “Kaizen”. Both can produce massive differences over time. It’s just that small tweaks are within our comfort zone and our capacity to act. Like Mary Penfold, who back in the 1800’s in Australia grew grapes to crush into red wine and give to her husbands patients as an “elixir of life”. Penfold’s Wines has of course become a household name.
2. They’re easy:
You don’t have to muster up huge amounts of personal motivation or give yourself a “pep talk” to do them, therefore they get done.
3. They cause momentum:
Once you get going on one task it often leads to another task, even bigger than the one before. Now you’re on a roll.
Leaders Are Great “Tweakers”
In fact, small tweaks are a big part of our Leadership Development Programmes. With participants setting BIG leadership goals for themselves, their teams and their organisations, it’s imperative that they then think in terms of “small tweaks” and get the momentum needed to make progress toward their big goals.
So with 2009 well under way and your goals set, don’t let the enormity of them overwhelm you or our current economic “winter of discontent”. Think “what small tweaks done daily, weekly, or monthly will help me on the way to reaching my goals?”
You’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish over time.
Why not get started right now and insert you first small tweak here...
Cheers
Paul Mitchell
You can read more newsletters here. Or, if you want to become a subscriber and have the "Everyone Leads" Leadership Newsletter delivered straight to your in-box then simply leave your details in the form on the right (or below). Subscription is free and your personal information will be kept safe and secure.
On the ascent, despite the natural beauty surrounding me, there were times when I couldn’t look up. All I could focus on was the brown leather, much loved, much beaten, yak poo encased walking boots of our Sherpa (Nepalese guide) Shekar. I just kept walking. It was hard going.
Every few hours, and much to my relief, Shekar would say his favourite word “relax” and we’d stop, guzzle on our water bottles and look down to the valley to see where we had come from.
Each time we paused to rest, it blew me away to see just how far we had hiked.
We reached just below Base Camp climbing to around 5000 metres. I couldn’t believe it. How did we do it? Well, as corny as it sounds, one step at a time.
That’s the power of small steps or what we at The Human Enterprise call “small tweaks”. Small actions or steps done over time, magnified that lead to BIG RESULTS.
Now let me get really, really clear here. I’m not saying set small goals. Far from it. Climbing to Mt Everest was a BIG goal for the family but it was accomplished one step (tweak) at a time. But maybe Everest is not your bag…
So Here Are Some Small Tweaks That Might Just Work For You
A Financial Small Tweak
Want to be a millionaire? You can do it through a “step change”, like winning the lottery. Or, through small tweaks.
Interested?
Look at the two tables below. They don’t take into account inflation, your tax or economic ups and downs but I’m sure you’ll get the idea.
How the Investment of Only One Dollar Per Day Grows Into $1,000,000 ($30 a Month)
| % Interest | No. of Years to Grow into a Million Dollars |
| 3% | 147 |
| 5% | 100 |
| 10% | 56 |
| 15% | 40 |
| 20% | 32 |
A Dollar A Day Invested At Various Interest Rates for 66 Years
| Method | % Interest | Amount Accumulated |
| (Hidden in a mattress) | 0% | $ 24 000 |
| (In a savings account) | 3% | $77 000 |
| (Certificates of deposit) | 5% | $193 000 |
| (Corporate bonds) | 8% | $1 000 000 |
| (Growth mutual funds) | 10% | $2 700 000 |
| (Aggressive growth mutual funds) | 15% | $50 000 000 |
| (Real estate, businesses) | 20% | $1 000 000 000 (yes that is one billion) |
From “The One Minute Millionaire”
By Mark Victor Hansen and Robert G. Allen
Perhaps making lots of money is not your goal either. Well here are some examples for your personal and professional life…
Personal Small Tweaks
Fitness:
Say you work in a multi story building. Why not take the stairs to your office – or at least some of them – once a day. You’ll be amazed at how much easier those stairs can get.
Personal Relationships:
Commit to showing one small piece of gratitude to your partner each week. So for example; “I really appreciate the way you…” You’ll be amazed at how great the relationship gets and how grateful you become.
Home Maintenance:
Commit to 15 minutes maintenance on your home every weekend. Within 3 months you’ll amaze yourself at how much extra you do and how wonderful your home looks.
Professional Small Tweaks
Client Services:
Do one small thing for one client each week. Send them an article that might interest them, make a call and check they’re ok. You’ll be amazed at the fantastic relationships you build over time.
Team Meetings:
Start each meeting with everyone sharing some small “win” about their week or, better still, a small recognition or credit directed at one of their peers. You’d be amazed at the difference this can make to team morale over time.
Expense Management:
For every new expense jut ask; “Do we really need this?” Have we already got some of this somewhere?” You’d be amazed at what you don’t have to purchase and the cost savings over time.
These are just some examples. I’m sure you can think of some small tweaks you can start applying right away.
Why are small tweaks so powerful?
1. They cause innovation:
There are many ways to innovate. One is called a “step change”; a major change in what you do or produce. Like Virgin going from records to airlines to mobile phones.
Then there are small tweaks, what the Japanese call “Kaizen”. Both can produce massive differences over time. It’s just that small tweaks are within our comfort zone and our capacity to act. Like Mary Penfold, who back in the 1800’s in Australia grew grapes to crush into red wine and give to her husbands patients as an “elixir of life”. Penfold’s Wines has of course become a household name.
2. They’re easy:
You don’t have to muster up huge amounts of personal motivation or give yourself a “pep talk” to do them, therefore they get done.
3. They cause momentum:
Once you get going on one task it often leads to another task, even bigger than the one before. Now you’re on a roll.
Leaders Are Great “Tweakers”
In fact, small tweaks are a big part of our Leadership Development Programmes. With participants setting BIG leadership goals for themselves, their teams and their organisations, it’s imperative that they then think in terms of “small tweaks” and get the momentum needed to make progress toward their big goals.
So with 2009 well under way and your goals set, don’t let the enormity of them overwhelm you or our current economic “winter of discontent”. Think “what small tweaks done daily, weekly, or monthly will help me on the way to reaching my goals?”
You’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish over time.
Why not get started right now and insert you first small tweak here...
Cheers
Paul Mitchell
You can read more newsletters here. Or, if you want to become a subscriber and have the "Everyone Leads" Leadership Newsletter delivered straight to your in-box then simply leave your details in the form on the right (or below). Subscription is free and your personal information will be kept safe and secure.
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