How You Do Anything Is How You Do Everything

Six words. That is all it took to change how I see everything I do.

I still catch myself saying it under my breath when I am about to do something I could easily do carelessly.

I picked up a thriller on holiday recently. The Orphan X series by Gregg Hurwitz. And buried in it is one line I have not been able to get out of my head since. How you do anything is how you do everything.

I keep coming back to it. When I send an email. When I see something in my business that is just slightly off. It plays on a loop.

And here is what I know after forty years of working with company directors. The ones whose businesses grow consistently, whose clients refer business to them, and whose staff stay, live this without even knowing it. The ones who struggle let the small things slide and wonder why the big things never quite come together.

I came across a story about a company called the Scottish Shutter Company up in Scotland. Their director, David Browne, has built something I think every business should take note of. When his team comes to your home, they arrive in clean livery. They put down a branded mat so nothing touches your carpet. They bring their own branded mugs. Every single stage of your experience with them is considered and deliberate.

That is not an accident. That is a culture. And it starts at the top. You do not get that by telling your staff to try harder. You get it by instilling pride in every person’s work and never accepting that will do.

Here is the challenge for today. Pick one thing you see today that is not quite right. Fix it. And let your team see you fixing it.

That is how I am trying to improve every day. One small thing at a time. How you do anything is how you do everything.

I am Mark Smillie. Have a great day. And if any of this has made you think, you know where I am if I can ever be of service to you.