Blog Post: Have you ever noticed how some of the smallest things can make the biggest differences?
Have you ever noticed how some of the smallest things can make the biggest differences?
As a business owner, we often feel overwhelmed by the multitude of big issues that are impacting the business climate, our client’s worlds, human resources rules, laws, and attitudes that could so quickly affect our teams and create problems. Then there are the changes and issues that impact the technical aspects of the work we do to actually serve our clients! We all want to serve our clients REALLY well – but it seems roadblocks keep jumping in our way!
Since the best way to handle BIG things is to break them down into small steps – let’s look at some of the tiny things that make BIG impacts. They happen like a single pebble dropping into a pond. The ripple effects keep getting bigger and bigger in their reach. THOSE are THE THINGS we want to do in our businesses.
Like… a smile. Have you ever noticed how most smiles create other smiles? And when you smile genuinely, there is actually a chemical change in your body that creates relaxation, stress relief, and a sense of joy? Stress reduction frees your brain to function better, being more creative and in tune to connections of thoughts that otherwise seem unrelated. That ‘in-tuneness’ (no that is not really a word 😉) allows you to be more observant in an objective way, and to notice things that otherwise you would be oblivious to. All from a smile!! THAT is how you want to impact your team each day!
A question. The right kind of question – allows freedom of thought and expression and requires curiosity to jump into the picture. What kind of question? Exactly!!
The kind that doesn’t have a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ answer.
The kind that doesn’t have a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ answer.
The kind that is open-ended and waits for another question to help define it – or continue the wide-open opportunity to let people explore possibilities.
Most of the time when we ask a question, we have designed it to gain information that we then can take action with, and we already have an idea what the action will be depending on ‘which choice’ they choose. Those kinds of questions create a sequence – like working in a process flow chart. They have their place in our daily world, in both our technical work and business processes. But those kinds of questions fall short when we want to solve a problem that is unusual or different, or we want to connect with people at a more human level.
So, how do we create questions that are NOT filled with ‘right or wrong’ answers?
What did you come up with?
It is a bit challenging isn’t it? We are so used to having expectations of the responses we will get from a question, that we have to deliberately check ourselves to make sure our questions don’t have a right or wrong answer! AND, we have to be ready to ASK ANOTHER QUESTION! Why?
The whole idea is to NOT stop the flow of ideas of the other person, but rather to encourage their ability to share and explore a new idea – concept – thought – and let it get BIGGER, like that ripple effect of the pebble.
Ok… we could go on ALL day with these little things that make a BIG Difference, but I’ll introduce just one more for today:
The biggest small thing you can do is create a new thought!
The smallest BIG thing you can do is create a new thought!
Hmmm….
- where do new thoughts come from?
- How do new thoughts change anything?
- If you have a new thought – what happens next?
- Do you let an old thought delete the new thought?
- If an old thought tries to delete the new thought, does the old thought win?
- Is the new thought really gone? Or has it automatically gained space in your brain? Will it continue to affect you?
No this isn’t a riddle or circular philosophy. It is a simple exercise to let you experience how a new thought impacts you and everything you do. We hear, read, and experience the same old thoughts over and over so they SEEM to be reality. Often they are repeated even at times when they don’t apply!
STOP! Question them. Ask: HOW they apply to this situation? WHY they apply? WHEN they apply? Always, sometimes, rarely, never? If this – then that? WHO do they apply to? Everyone, certain people, no one?
Let yourself go beyond the standard answers. REQUIRE thoughts to be questioned – you will be surprised at the ripple effect! When a NEW thought shows up, make a note of it and keep asking yourself how that new thought changes THIS SITUATION?
