I love the look of a long flights of steps leading to a building. Architecturally,
they underscore the importance of the building. Think of the steps leading up
to the entrance the U.S. Capitol or any prominent building. Physically, steps
allow an easy climb up a hill that could be intimidating or impassable. Each step
provides a resting point if necessary for the climber. Most of us choose to climb
one step at a time because the rise and tread depth of a step is in a mathematical
formula that takes advantage of the way the human body moves.
In
the learning process, the first and following steps are important, too. Educational
steps, like building steps, are designed so that they allow for easy progression.
Following the step by step instructions for product assembly, preparing gourmet
food by following a recipe and doing the math inside the parentheses first, are
all important steps. Steps are logical progressions of mental and physical activity
to follow and provide room to breathe in between.
The learning
process is always easier when there are steps to break down and simplify the material.
I watched some infomercials on television the other day. I saw advertisements
for step programs like:
- 5 steps toward creating wealth through investment
in the stock market
- 7 steps to eliminate stress
- 5 steps to improve
your memory
All of the program material looked rich in content
and filled with useful information. As with many programs, there was something
missing from these three programs.
No, it wasn’t a missing guarantee
for results or your money back. The missing part wasn’t that the programs couldn’t
be accomplished either; they were all doable.
The thing that was missing
from each program was the last step. That would be step 4 in a three-step
program, step 5 in a four step program and step 8 in a 7 step program. You see,
the last step in any program is to follow through and finish the program. The
folks who start a program like those listed above usually find a reason to stop
it, too. The last step is to provide accountability for the program user to help
in finishing or putting a program into use.
As you make changes for improvements
in your business and put new plans and systems in place, do you also build in
a step to provide accountability for completion? Often new programs in business
are accepted at the first step and then slowly fade as there is no last step to
create ways to make sure the new program is used and supported.
In your
new 3-step program for improved customer service, create the fourth step to monitor
how well the new program is being followed by employees. In your program for increased
numbers of "up sales" to higher profit margin products, add the last step to monitor
how often employees are following the program and what the results are compared
to the original estimates.
Your program’s “last step” should be the way
in which you can best guarantee follow through and results. In any program, getting
people to start is the easy part. Getting them to finish is the challenge.
