12 Aug What a flip-turn teaches about success
When Ariana Titimus won her second 400-metre freestyle gold medal this week, she was a well-oiled machine. Her talent is undeniable. But do we give enough thought to the world of training and relentless practice under those smooth strokes?
Sociology professor Daniel Chambliss researched the qualities of elite swimmers, and he observed the following about what creates excellence:
“Excellence is mundane. Superlative performance is really a confluence of dozens of small skills or activities, each one learned or stumbled upon, which have been carefully drilled into habit and then fitted together in a synthesized whole. There is nothing extraordinary or superhuman in any one of those actions; only the fact that they are done consistently and correctly, and all together, produce excellence.
When a swimmer learns a proper flip turn in the freestyle races, she will swim the race a bit faster; then a streamlined push off from the wall, with the arms squeezed together over the head, and a little faster; then how to place the hands in the water so no air is cupped in them; then how to lift them over the water; then how to lift weights to properly build strength, and how to eat the right foods, and to wear the best suits for racing, and on and on.
Each task seems small but allows the athlete to swim faster. And having learned and consistently practiced all of them together, and many more besides, the swimmer may compete in the Olympic Games… the little things do count.”
The confluence he captures can also flip to an organisation’s endeavours. Little things counting big is hardly a new idea, mentioned regularly across business newsletters, books and talks. When I raise it, everyone nods and agrees that unheroic moments add up.
Yet when organisations are bleeding value from the brand or want to add more, the little things are the last place they look.
A brand is a store of value created by everything you do. I often talk about the role culture, identity, and employees play. This time, let’s look at customers.
A good outcome requires you to think about products people need and want (not necessarily in that order). Yet excellence, like excellence for a swimmer, relies on dozens of little things that happen before, during, and after someone buys from you.
And those little things, happily, are also often easier to improve and contribute an outsize impact to the result when combined—the customer equivalent of a great swim.
It starts before the customer steps on deck when you develop the product. Then layer how you set up supply chains so stock levels meet demand. Add sales and marketing that makes promises you can keep. If online, easy ordering and timely fulfilment. In-person, helpful and courteous service. Rounding out by sorting problems quickly and without animosity.
Hundreds of little things in each of these aspects affect the brand and how much value gets stored or eroded.
For example, properly beta-test the product or update so it performs as predicted. CrowdStrike found out the expensive way the damage caused when you don’t. Check there is enough product on hand before launching a major marketing push. No one wants to see ‘out of stock’ when they respond to ‘buy this’. Keep people in the loop about delivery (just don’t go overboard, one message is enough). A friendly hi and thanks, whether the customer is in person or online. A process to flag and respond to complaints and problems quickly.
No matter how big your organisation is or what type of products or services you sell, it’s worth breaking down the different pieces and parts of your interactions with customers, including what’s happening behind the scenes. Map how each piece flows, relates, overlaps, and influences the others. Then, pick one or two little things to improve and focus on them.
I know big swings sound good and feel good. Saying I’m going to focus on how my hand enters the water just doesn’t hit the same as I’m going to win an Olympic gold medal. By all means, have the most big, hairy, audacious goal you can think of. Just don’t confuse it with doing the unheroic work to make it happen.
Elite swimmers train individual elements for hours and carefully choose every aspect. Flip turns, starts, aerobic fitness, swimsuits. Honed skills and micro-choices all compound. And while you might not win a gold medal, you will have a brand overflowing with value.
Thanks for reading.