One recent Sunday night, I was trying to do something important. Our 7-year-old daughter wanted to do one of those “connect-the-numbers” drawings and then color it with crayons. In case she messed up with a few numbers, I wanted a back-up copy to allow her a “do over” if necessary.
So I went to our all-in-one printer, scanned the number-filled page in and attempted to print it. Instead of a back-up copy, I got an error message saying the printer couldn’t print and instructing me to turn it off and back on. Then my wife walked in and said that this is the same error message we’ve been getting off and on for about two months. I tried troubleshooting this—to no avail. Then, determined to be “Mr. Problem Solver,” I got in my car and drove to a local discount big-box store for a replacement printer.
I got the new printer home, and after 45 minutes of disconnecting and connecting, installing software, registering, etc., I was finally ready to print that darn document. My daughter, by now, had long forgotten her once-urgent art project. In fact, she was already in bed.
As I was installing the new printer, it occurred to me that whenever I have a fix-it, build-it or install-it project to do at home, there is always a learning curve to getting it done. There are all the trials and errors that go with figuring out how to do something. By the time I know how to get it done, i.e. installing a printer, I’ll go three years or more before I have to do it again. Then the installation process will be different, and I’ll have a brand-new learning curve. Had I needed to install yet another printer that night, it would have taken me a fraction of the time it took to set up the first one because the learning curve was with the first printer.
Trying to Be Everything to Everyone
I see this same sort of thing happening at offices, especially with services people offer. To make sure no business is turned away, people try to do everything for everybody. No matter how inefficient it might be. No matter how unnecessary it really is in the first place. “We can do that,” is the overriding mantra of a great many salespeople. Forget that they haven’t ever done “that” or that it’s been 18 months since they did “that” and the person who fulfilled the service is no longer with the company.
So they have a learning curve for everything and, worse case, they have no efficiencies for getting it done fast, right and profitably.
Profitable companies do a few focused, sensible, necessary things, and they do them exceptionally well. Look at Apple. This company’s entire product line will pretty much fit on a table—a small table.
I encourage you to get great at something, offer that premium, essential something to the people who really need it (make yourself indispensable), and then do this over and over again.
Repetition builds efficiency. Efficiency results in increased productivity. And increased productivity leads to greater profitability. It is a beautiful circle.
Adhere to this principle, and you’ll do what you do better.