Dig Deeper into the Details

Part Two on details.  Having the ability to communicate a vision to fellow shareholders or even close friends and loved ones, is a real challenge and one which many visionary entrepreneurs struggle with.  To explain a vision you need to be specific and provide pertinent details to get a message across.  You cannot afterwards become frustrated if others don't understand what you said, because you have not been clear enough in imparting the information.  Stick to the facts and avoid opinion and try to be concrete in what you say, as opposed to abstract or theoretical examples.  This can be very frustrating when you think you know exactly what is right and what will work, but if you don't explain it with proper examples then others will remain lost and unable to fulfil what you require or expect of them.  Unfortunately, tolerance for routine is essential in running a business and to having a solid relationship.  There are not always highs and exciting times in the course of a lifetime and sometimes as frustrating as it may be when dealing with business procedures, they simply have to be done.  Being a maverick all the time can introduce harmful chaos.  Sometimes the tried and tested method works best and should not be discarded particularly if it still produces excellent results. Partnering with others that bolster any weakness in this area, can be very helpful.  Learning to love (check)lists improves attention to detail and can lead to greater efficiency and success.  They protect us from failure in more tasks than we can realise.  They help to alleviate memory loss, uncertainty about what is to be done and they give a sense of achievement when you are able to see how many items have been completed.  I am not advocating leaving lists all around the house for a spouse or kids, but they are a good net to catch our mental flaws.  One of the most underrated tools in business and indeed in life is remembering peoples names.  If you are like me then you never forget a face, but names are more challenging and one needs to get a trigger or method to remember names.  The detail shows that we are interested and care and that is why the pronunciation, the spelling and the remembering of names is a very underrated way of setting your business apart from others.  Finally and certainly not least, is the detail of making quality non negotiable. Whether it is in interpersonal relationships or even mere business transactions, adopting a quality mindset makes for sure success.  We need to stay with something until we have worked out all the kinks and there can be fun and enjoyment from trying multiple times to achieve a better standard in products or services. Quality is something which creates a competitive advantage and keeps a person coming back again and again, so that is why we have to keep going, until we get it right!