It is all in the Detail!

"Details matter," Steve Jobs said.  "Its worth waiting to get it right."  You may be on a journey towards something you know is right, but getting there is slower than you think - you can see the outcome, but as you try to get there, you realise that it will take much more detail and planning than you first thought.  Many big picture thinkers have a low tolerance for details.  They may be very clear on the vision for the future and where it will take them, but they can tend to neglect the practical details en route.  The most impressive people are those that have the ability to maintain strategic thinking and manage attention to detail.  They do it by implementing some valuable tools.  Firstly they tend to plan effectively.  This may sometimes be quite boring and doing things on the spur of the moment is more exciting, but planning properly and having the openness to discuss and share how to reach the end goal, is a worthy way to get to your destination. Keeping your eye on the bottom line is also very important, because like cash flow can cripple a business, so too, not constantly checking your outcome and practising how you want to get to the end goal, can be the difference in how large the margin for error may be and how to ensure that you maintain a safety margin at all times.  Next we need to be caring and courteous to others.  In business we should never let our station in life cause us to lose the courteous manner in which we deal with people.  In our relationships we must be mindful of the needs and wants of those closest to us and make them understand and believe that we care about their views and opinions and what is important to them.  Henry Clay (an American lawyer [and obviously a smart guy]) said "courtesies of a small and trivial character are the ones which strike deepest in the grateful and appreciating heart".  Grace (and being willing to really try to understand our partner, employees or loved ones) and civility (really asking what we can do for others) make relationships run smoothly.  This is attention to detail.  Furthermore, we need to pay attention to the little things as they have an enormous impact. Nothing is irrelevant in a relationship and to individual branding.  Whether it is tidiness, or the last email that you sent - is each thing done in excellence and do they indicate that you care?  You may not always get direct appreciation but it sets a standard and this leads to the tone of the relationship which leads to it's ultimate success.