Everyone is on about going the extra mile... But what about the last mile?

Going the extra mile has become the norm, the essential part, the cliché of the business world. From CEOs to managers to concierges to part-time cleaners, everyone offers going the extra mile as if it was something that defined us – if you don't offer an extra mile two to three times a week, who even are you? But maybe it does define us, for even the Bible says to do it (I'm extra dead serious!)...

And so we offer to deliver ahead of schedule, we offer additional services outside of the scope of works, we offer to respond in yellow Comic Sans because the navy blue Arial hurts the client's eyes. Impossible is nothing. Why all the hassle? Because we love making promises, we want to be liked, and we think our clients will be forever grateful – but will they now? These days, going the extra mile is so deeply embedded in the water supply that it is no longer that much of a "wow factor" and if you go too many extra miles (you whaaaaaaat?!), it may actually hurt your business relationships. So why not chill down about overpromising and underdelivering and focus on underpromising and overdelivering? Ladies and gents... the last mile.

1. The last mile creates the culture of accountability

Going the last mile is going the last 2-3% of what can be a very long journey – it requires from you and your team accountability for your decisions and urgency to deliver to the quality standards you promised to the client. In other words, it's following through on your promises. It's easy to offer the extra mile and then, when the reality hits you hard, not deliver on time or to lower standards, because "we're doing the client a favour, anyway." – you gather that a little excuse here and there ("We almost have it done; just give us one more day!") won't hurt anyone. But this way of thinking is not possible if you are a last-mile kind of fella. You don't get to relax in the quietness of the day as you progress along the project timeline, but you deliver 100% at every stage and 110% on the finishing stretch. Think of it as finishing strong in a running race.

Accountable teams have their eyes on the last mile, because they understand that building strong business relationships is not only about how they start, but also (or should we say, mostly?) about how they finish. The last mile and following through on your promises is the great finale, it's what takes centre stage and what your client will judge you on. You can have the best plan in place, work tirelessly for weeks, but if you don't deliver as promised, this is all that the client will see and this is all that will matter. So if you want to call your team smart and you want to call yourself smart, learn how to delegate the smart way. Right at the onset of the project, agree on and have a crystal-clear understanding of who is responsible for each stage and who is responsible for the last mile. Give the person responsible for the last mile – The Chief Last Mile Officer, if you will – permission to pester you and badger you and pin you to the wall and throw a bucket of ice-cold water at you if that's what it takes for you and your team to deliver on time and to promised standards. You will thank them later...

2. The last mile helps you stay away from overpromising and underdelivering

It happened. You made a promise, you see it will be darn hard to deliver, you pick up the phone, call the client and go: "You know, Pete, the circumstances have changed..." (like Pete gives a f***). You have just let the client down and tarnished your credibility as a supplier, business partner and leader – to name it most professionally I can, you have just been bamboozled. There you go, you have just had your first lesson in overpromising and underdelivering, but don't despair just yet...

Overpromising is a great way to learn that there is a big difference between almost achieving what you promised and actually delivering the desired results (the very difference that sets businesses apart, perhaps?). It is a two-scenario game, in which you will either break the promise, underdeliver, and come up with an excuse (Boi! Will your client start doubting your capabilities as a business partner...) OR you will follow through on the promise you shouldn't have made in the first place, and it will be painful, filled with sweat, and blood and a few all-nighters (Boi! Will your team start doubting your capabilities as a leader...). Whichever way you go, it will be painful: either for your client or for your team, and in each and every scenario for you. But if you are a leader, you will take the pain – you made a promise and you will deliver, and it will be the worst and the best thing that happened to you. Painfully kept promise will destroy you, but it will also teach you to never do the happy talk and offer to help everyone (no, you do not know a guy who knows a guy!).

So think about the pain and all the reasons you give your client NOT to trust you every time you overpromise and underdeliver, and it will make you think twice before you blurt out the famous: "We can do that for you." Guess what... you cannot "do that" for every client. So, before setting off on an extra-mile journey and committing to anything, think of the last mile (will you have enough resources, enough time, enough power in the tank?), and you will never overpromise. That's my promise to you!

3. The last mile is your extra mile

If you think about it, going the last mile and following thought on your promises is really your extra mile. Nowadays, we have way too many professionals who promise extra services they cannot deliver, when what they really should be focusing on is delivering good core service with consistency day in and day out – something the client hired them to do in the first place! Every extra helps, but if it is not the core service your client is paying you for, it may not make that much difference to your business relationships. It's like giving them delicious breadsticks on the house, but serving a cold steak.

And if you start going too many extra miles too often, you may get your client hooked on that extra-mile drug of yours, meaning that the additional service you are offering will no longer be something extraordinary, but something your client just expects of you (and something they don't pay for!). Just to be clear, I have nothing against extra miles, given the rest of the service is impeccable. In other (poetic as always!) words: if the steak is served hot, I will love a bit of extra breadstick... If the steak is served cold, you know where you can shove that extra breadstick, don't ya?

To sum up...

"Do it! And behold she went the extra mile. And it was good."* Do it, go the bloody extra mile, but don't let it make you complacent. Don't assume that just because you are doing something extra for the client, it gets you off the hook for bad customer service, late deliveries or poor quality results, because... well, it doesn't. Your business is only as good as the promise it makes and keeps, so may your extra mile really be something extra.

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* not an actual quote from the Bible, if you were wondering...