Small things that make a difference

Very often, as executives and managers, we are looking for that big strategic decision or initiative- one that will change or 'transform' our business. That's probably a perpetual quest. We get some right, and quite a few wrong- but that 'killer app' of strategy, product launch or brand relaunch eludes most of us. And books get written about the few who have got those big breakthrough decisions, and the rest of us continue in great hope that our big strategic acts are going to be part of management folklore. That sliver of hope drives us in our quest for greatness, and at times brings interesting serendipitous results- and keeps everybody going.  

However, in this larger journey to greatness, do we overlook the little things that can make a big difference? When we talk to people, there is usually that one small incident that changed the direction of their lives- be it through an interaction with someone else, a failure, a small piece of advice..... the list could go on. Meeting with many people has made me firmly believe that these small things can make a very big difference, one that most of us underestimate. Each of us has been through small experiences that would have had a big impact, and I would like to talk about a of those. 

To start with, I want to talk about the 'penny drop moment'- through the use of simple, vivid descriptions or analogies or metaphors- words that change our thinking. In our everyday lives, do we consciously think about how a few words or an analogy can make a huge difference, and plan and use them. Let me give you a personal example. A few years back, I had some terrible back problems, and every few months would be down with a stiff back. I consulted a physio, an Australian lady who had worked on sports injuries. One day, as I was lying on the physio's table, she said a few words which stayed with me forever. "Treat your back like a string of pearls", she said. I guess that was when the penny dropped, though I didn’t realise it at that moment. I focussed on strengthening my back, and in those stretches and exercises, I took care as I would do to a string of pearls. Just those words made a big difference to my life. 

Giving feedback to people is one area where such thoughtful selection of words would make a difference. Genuine, honest performance discussions can have a profound impact on people and their careers. A significant moment comes to my mind and I thought I would share that with you- again, one of those little things that can make a big difference.

This happened when I was about 3 - 4 years into my career, after having passed out from XLRI. I was the personnel manager of a factory, which employed almost 500 contract labour on a regular basis. We all knew this was not sustainable and that a change in the business model was needed - but for a couple of years this was falling between the cracks. The factory thought that the Head Office should do something and the Head Office thought that this was a factory issue. In this context, I had a review discussion with my skip manager - who was running the business. He began by asking what I did in the last few months. I wanted to give an impression of how busy I was and told him that I did everything from recruiting, training to running volleyball and cricket tournaments for the workers there. He smiled cynically and said "You are talking like my daughter! When I ask her what she did during the day, she says that she did some history, some English, some science, some play, etc". I realized this discussion was not going where I thought it should go. My heart sank and suddenly I found myself stuttering like those misfiring old tuk-tuks (or the old fat-fatiyas of Delhi)! He then slowly built up my thinking on key priorities and asked me to take ownership of that big contract labour problem, and make a proposal. That discussion changed the next couple of years of my career - we made a breakthrough proposal, implemented it over a year and at the end I moved from HR to run a part of manufacturing and supply-chain in the business.

On reflection, what did that discussion do:

• It was honest and genuine, and gave me feedback that my priorities were wrong
• He coached me on thinking about the biggest strategic risk/priorities and how I could do something
• He supported me and the factory in going beyond what we thought was our role
• Finally, this linked into my own development and movement to a cross functional role over time.  

I guess a feedback discussion can be really powerful - it has the potential to change lives. It is not another chit-chat - it is core to the individual's life and career, and if we do it with genuine and honest intent, in a safe and supportive manner, it can work wonders! It is clearly one of those small things that can make a big difference. I guess we all have such moments to share. I am sure you would have come across examples in your life when a simple communication, made a big difference. What are the other small things that make a big difference?

(I wrote this initially as a blog for a friend's startup. Sharing this with a wider audience!)