by Justin Collinge
Are you a runner? Or do you, like me, suspect that joggers probably need some help!
There would be several minutes’ difference between me running a mile and someone who can run. Then look at the difference between that person and an Olympic runner – again there would be a big difference in time. Now look at the difference between 1st and 2nd in the last Olympics 1500m race – 13 hundredths of a second.
Learning to be world class is not something that can happen overnight. The elegance and simplicity of a true expert can mask the years of practice that have gone into the apparent effortlessness. However, sometimes a big difference in results can be created by a tiny change.
Many of you reading this are already excellent at what you do – I’ve met several of you and know the readers of our tips to be resourceful, clever, hard working experts. However, there are many resourceful, clever, hard working experts around. What does it take for you to stand out from the crowd you are part of? Maybe it takes a lifetime’s dedication to excellence. Maybe there’s no alternative to committing yourself to the ‘great cause’ and spending years perfecting your craft. I’m not suggesting there is a short cut to being world class.
But that’s the bad news challenge. The good news is that sometimes there are tiny distinctions that separate the excellent from the good, and these distinctions can be learned. You can see them everywhere once you start looking. For example it can be in the way we say something – knowing what words are just the right words in certain situations. Anthony Robbins talks about the change from excellent to outstanding being a 2mm difference in the way we hold ourselves.
Just recently I’ve added something to my training. I’ve started pointing out the subtle ‘2mm’ moments as they happen and collecting them on a flipchart. By the end of the workshop everyone has, in addition to the central learning of the session, gained a list of important but tiny things that can help them stand out from the rest.
Do you know, I wonder if adding the ‘2mm Difference’ flipchart to my workshops is a 2mm Difference in itself. Now I wonder what 2mm I could use to help influence myself to run when I take the dog out today rather than stroll!
Call to action:
- Write down all the tiny things that enable you to be as good as you are. What subtle change would cause you to become even better in these areas?
- Get details of our next Communication Mastery conference which is full of 2mm Differences that transform the way people communicate.
- Write to me (Justin@Kaizen-training.com) and I’ll send you a list of my favourite five 2mm Differences – the ones I think are easiest to learn and yet reap a surprising reward.
