[Little things
Little and big, what's the difference? Only Little.
There is a famous Chinese proverb - "Men trip not on mountains; they stumble on stones." How True !
There's very little difference between little and big because there would be no big things were it not for the little things that created them. Just consider what tremendous consequences come from little things -- a chance word, a tap with trust on the shoulder, or a penny dropped on a news stand – if you think carefully... there are no little things. Although little things can lead to great things, they can also lead to terrible things. Careless people, for example, may allow a little dispute to end a great relationship.
The roles of big and little are equally important in business. For if we wish to be a big success, we'll have to pay attention to the little things (details). Ben Franklin points out how important the little things are if we wish to reach our goals: "For want of a nail the shoe was lost; for want of a shoe the horse was lost; and for want of a horse the rider was lost; being overtaken and slain by the enemy, all for the want of care about a horseshoe nail."
Little things can have a huge impact. For example, today Toyota is the world's largest automobile manufacturer and Japanese cars overrun North America. How did that happen? It was just a little thing. The Japanese held themselves to a higher standard. They are more demanding and their idea of an acceptable amount of error is more severe than that of most other manufacturers.
Of course, no manufacturer can be perfect. But to what degree of perfection should automotive industry strive for ? How about 99.9%? Well, even if globally businesses and services were error-free 99.9% of the time, twelve hundred babies would be given to the wrong parents every day, two and a half million books would be shipped with the wrong covers every year, and 8,80,000 credit cards in circulation would have incorrect cardholder information on their magnetic strips this year. So, you see, a little thing like doing our very best is no small matter. Just for your reference, the average electric grid that cities depend on for power operate without malfunction 99.9 ~ 99.99% of the time. And Motorola has achieved Six Sigma quality levels (a failure rate of 3.4 parts per million or 99.9997%). If we wish to explore more about how little things can make a big difference, you may enjoy reading 'The Tipping Point' - by Malcolm Gladwell.
There is a wonderful poem[b];
Little stones make big mountains, Little steps can cover miles,
Little acts of loving-kindness, Give the world its biggest smiles,
Little words can soothe big troubles, Little hugs can dry big tears,
Little candles light the darkness, Little memories last for years,
Little dreams can lead to greatness, Little victories to success,
It's the little things in life, That brings the greatest happiness .."
Little and big, what's the difference? Only Little.
There is a famous Chinese proverb - "Men trip not on mountains; they stumble on stones." How True !
There's very little difference between little and big because there would be no big things were it not for the little things that created them. Just consider what tremendous consequences come from little things -- a chance word, a tap with trust on the shoulder, or a penny dropped on a news stand – if you think carefully... there are no little things. Although little things can lead to great things, they can also lead to terrible things. Careless people, for example, may allow a little dispute to end a great relationship.
The roles of big and little are equally important in business. For if we wish to be a big success, we'll have to pay attention to the little things (details). Ben Franklin points out how important the little things are if we wish to reach our goals: "For want of a nail the shoe was lost; for want of a shoe the horse was lost; and for want of a horse the rider was lost; being overtaken and slain by the enemy, all for the want of care about a horseshoe nail."
Little things can have a huge impact. For example, today Toyota is the world's largest automobile manufacturer and Japanese cars overrun North America. How did that happen? It was just a little thing. The Japanese held themselves to a higher standard. They are more demanding and their idea of an acceptable amount of error is more severe than that of most other manufacturers.
Of course, no manufacturer can be perfect. But to what degree of perfection should automotive industry strive for ? How about 99.9%? Well, even if globally businesses and services were error-free 99.9% of the time, twelve hundred babies would be given to the wrong parents every day, two and a half million books would be shipped with the wrong covers every year, and 8,80,000 credit cards in circulation would have incorrect cardholder information on their magnetic strips this year. So, you see, a little thing like doing our very best is no small matter. Just for your reference, the average electric grid that cities depend on for power operate without malfunction 99.9 ~ 99.99% of the time. And Motorola has achieved Six Sigma quality levels (a failure rate of 3.4 parts per million or 99.9997%). If we wish to explore more about how little things can make a big difference, you may enjoy reading 'The Tipping Point' - by Malcolm Gladwell.
There is a wonderful poem[b];
Little stones make big mountains, Little steps can cover miles,
Little acts of loving-kindness, Give the world its biggest smiles,
Little words can soothe big troubles, Little hugs can dry big tears,
Little candles light the darkness, Little memories last for years,
Little dreams can lead to greatness, Little victories to success,
It's the little things in life, That brings the greatest happiness .."
