Do Sweat the Small Stuff

By John Malmo

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wkno/local-wkno-919140.mp3

Do Sweat the Small Stuff, by John Malmo

Memphis, TN – An expression I don't hear much any more is, "Don't sweat the small stuff," but I absolutely see demonstrations of it every day. It means don't worry about the details; concentrate on the big picture. Yet little matters more than the details, because it's the details that determine the quality of the execution. And most great strategies and plans fail, not because they were bad, but because they were executed poorly. Billions in a retail chain and checkout clerks who don't even look at the customer.

The first important business lesson I ever received was from Roger Wright at E.L. Bruce Company. Roger taught me how to break work into the most elementary details, then execute each, and double-check each at the end. Sounds laborious and slow, but concentrating on details saves times that otherwise would be spent correcting mistakes.

My last boss, before I went into business for myself, was Cooper Adams, who owned a very successful manufacturing company. Leaving late one evening, I saw a light in the mail room. When I went to turn it off, there was Cooper Adams running envelopes through the postage meter.

"I can hire high-priced guys to prepare these multi-million dollar proposals," he said. "But I've never been able to hire anyone I could depend on to be sure they get in the mail."

John Malmo is a Memphis marketing consultant with more than fifty years experience. He is former chairman of Archer Malmo Advertising and specializes today in helping small businesses grow. To reach Mr. Malmo - or to buy a copy of his book When on the Mountain There is no Tiger, Monkey Is King- go to http://www.johnmalmo.com.