How you do anything is how you do everything
Ash Taylor
Helping Business Owners and Leaders be the best they can be: Leadership and Personal Development | Business Coach | Founder of The Business Clubhouse | LMI (UK)
As you may know, Kay and I start the day each morning by walking the dog. It was wet this morning. It had been raining all morning and the air was still damp and mizzly, permeating through our clothing and Rodney’s smart new grey woolly coat.
On the way back we have to walk along our lane which is “single track road with passing places” in other words, narrow.
A Little Consideration Goes a Long Way
Drivers are generally considerate. We have Simon from the Skip hire company, who always slows down, waves and chats from his cab window. The unsmiling but courteous chap in the silver Toyota Rav 4; the lady and her child in the red mini who always say “awwww” as they ogle the dog on their crawl past.
Today was no different. In fact, a van, a white one to boot slowed right down as we were walking along a particularly narrow constricted portion of road and let us get to one of the passing places before slowly pulling past.
Actions Speak Louder Than Words
And then there was the van with the signage all over it. I noticed it was a plumber’s van because we could do with a decent plumber so I always have half an eye out.
The van that deliberately sped up, not much but enough to make sure it had a good attempt at causing a tyre wave as it went past. A good attempt at soaking us and the dog. No need for it, just because.
We avoided it, which was great but here’s the thing. There is no way in a month of Sundays that I would ever have that firm even quote for work. I’ve not met them, seen them, or spoken to them. But, if that’s their attitude to driving at 7.30 on a wet morning with horses, walkers, dogs, and deer on the road then I have no confidence in anything else they might do.
They might provide a great quote, be brilliant at what they do but there would be no confidence and therefore no trust.
It's Not Just What You Do
How you do anything is how you do everything. Your reputation is not just built on the stuff you do in business but outside of it too. That might not have been the plumber in the van. He may have lent it to a mate or it could be an employee – I don’t care; they are responsible for the reputation of that firm.
What about you? Is the personal you reflective of the business you? Your behaviours and values apply to both and how you do anything is how you do everything.
I wish it had been me who came up this line but it’s by a character, Jack (not that Jack) from the Orphan X series of books by Greg Hurwitz.