Great companies first win on the basics, then they wow you with something special. And that’s the cherry on top! But if you don’t first win on the basics, your customers will be so distracted that they will not notice the cherry on top. As you meet with your teams and plan for the next year, a good question to ask your team is “What are the basics that we want to win on? And how are we doing with them?”
Great companies first win on a few basics. Literally a handful of items. A few things executed flawlessly instead of a dozen things executed with mediocrity!
Take Zappos for example. Zappos is known for their wonderful, weird and wacky culture and how they wow their employees who then in turn wow their customers. They give great customer service. But guess what? They win by executing on the basics first:
How many “basics” did you and your team come up with? If it is more than 5, you might not be focused enough. Discuss, debate and agree on 3 to 5 basics that you will focus on and become great at so that you can win on the basics.