“There’s always room for improvement, it’s the biggest room in the house.” – Louise Heath Leber
While this quote was not included in Guy Kawasaki’s latest book, Enchantment, The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds and Actions, it provides the reason for why I picked up his book recently. Who doesn’t want to improve? Whether we strive for improvement in our business, social life, family life, or athletic pursuits, it is a key part of the human experience.
To improve our businesses, we must serve others in an extraordinary way…Guy Kawasaki has renamed this necessity as “Enchantment.” According to Guy, an enchanting person or business is likeable & trustworthy; they prepare relentlessly before bringing a product or service to the market; & they work tirelessly to continue enchanting not only their customers, but also those within their organization.
History is full of examples where likeability & trustworthiness correlate to a healthy bottom line. Take Nordstrom & the Four Seasons, who have built a reputation on world-class customer service & created enviable customer loyalty. When many companies’ unhappy customers will go elsewhere, Nordstrom customers will write letters relating a less-than-stellar performance or product. This feedback alerts management at Nordstrom to an opportunity for improvement, another chance to fulfill the promise highly personalized bend-over-backward customer service that each customer has become accustom to.
“By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail.” – Benjamin Franklin
Preparation is the key to success in every facet of your life & business, but often the most overlooked. Very few products, artists, athletes, or companies are an “overnight success.” There are years of single-minded focus that come before a stellar success. Michael Phelps, who holds the record for number of medals for any Olympic athlete (22 medals), started swimming at age seven. He competed at his first Olympics at age 15, the youngest American male swimmer in 68 years. But it wasn’t until the 2004 Olympic games in Athens, Greece that he won his first medal. By that time he had been swimming 12 years.
In Outliers, The Story of Success, Malcom Gladwell writes of the “10,000-Hour Rule.” Gladwell argues that while there is such thing as innate talent, true greatness only comes after 10,000 hours of practice. This is a commonly accepted milestone of distinction, excellence requires a critical minimum level of practice & it appears to be 10,000 hours, or roughly 10 years. Great success, or achievement, is preceded by an unrelenting focus & commitment to the task.
If you desire to stay at the top of your game, to keep your product viable & in-demand, or to continually provide quality services, you must be persistent in your pursuit of excellence. While desire is the beginning of all achievement, & preparation will serve you well, persistence is what will sustain your business. Guy Kawasaki says, “Enchantment is a process, not an event.” You must be determined in your continual pursuit of excellence.
In Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill writes, “There may be no heroic connotation to the word ‘persistence,’ but the quality is to character what carbon is to steel.” Without it, many a goal will die on the vine. When roadblocks & hurdles appear in your path, you must find a way over, under, or around them & keep moving. You must apply the will to succeed with merciless tenacity & keep moving towards your goal. Continue to practice, read, research, experiment, & believe in your cause, task, or event.
So begin today on your journey for improvement. Find your desire, prepare fanatically, & apply determination & willpower to continue the journey. And remember…
“Improvement starts with I.” – Arnold Glasow