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Chief of Police William Bratton has produced extraordinary results in New York and Los Angeles. One of his successful strategies is the "Broken Windows" program. Here is a summary of the theory:
"Consider a building with a few broken windows. If the windows are not repaired, the tendency is for vandals to break a few more windows.
Eventually, they may even break into the building, and if it's unoccupied, perhaps become squatters or light fires inside.
Or consider a sidewalk. Some litter accumulates. Soon, more litter accumulates. Eventually, people even start leaving bags of trash from take-out restaurants there or breaking into cars."
The theory thus makes two major claims: that further petty crime and low-level anti-social behavior will be deterred, and that major crime will, as a result, be prevented.
What if we applied this theory to being professional?
This is what it would look like:
1) Pay Attention to the Little Details.
* Proofread your e-mails before sending
* Be punctual to meetings
* Dress to impress
2) Little Changes Produce Big Results.
* Communication is clear and concise
* People feel respected
* Great first impressions are made
Minor fixes cultivate major advances. People observe what we do more than they listen to what we say. Start today by paying special attention to the small things that make a big impression! Being professional means taking pride in the small things that make a big difference!
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Comments
09.16.09
I shared this with some coworkers today because it's very relevant and timely. The little things do count and they do add up. Thanks for posting!
09.16.09
You're welcome, thanks for reading it!
09.21.09
Great post Scott. The small things also help set expectations. A mentor helped me realize that if I continued to start meetings 5-10 minutes late because not everyone had gotten there, I was telling everyone it was OK to be late.
After starting to begin meetings on time, every time, people realized they might miss something important if they showed up late. It took a few meetings for people to get used to, but the long term effect was punctual meetings.
09.21.09
I like the comment you made about expectations. Our actions speak louder than words. Thanks for the feedback Drew!
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