"Opportunities don't happen, you create them." — Chris Grosser ​

Some reports state 75% of contractors and property restoration service providers express slower than expected business in the current billing cycle. On Episode 127 of The DYOJO Podcast, we discuss some ideas for how to use entrepreneurial downtime for personal growth and slow seasons for organizational improvement. ​

As business owners and managers, it's a daily challenge to encourage trainees and employees to understand how important small, sustained improvements can contribute to their professional development. As a means of simplifying this perspective, author James Clear shared his approach 1% daily improvement in his book Atomic Habits. A recent guest on The DYOJO Podcast, Zac, who manages a team of water damage technicians in Tumwater, Washington, shared how he uses the 1% improvement concepts to help team members focus on the right things that will help them and the team grow. 

As Zac puts it, "Team, how can we be 1% better today?" 

It turns out, the concept of the aggregation of marginal gains may have been introduced by Dave Brailsford in his capacity as director of British Cycling performance. While the 1% focus is helpful to team members and organizations, Brailsford took a holistic approach to improvement. Teams under his direction would look for any incremental advantage they could muster. For example, lighter tires for the cycles, more ergonomic seating, electrically heated over shorts, and down to details including handwashing techniques. 

Both men explain how small, consistent improvements will lead to positive results that compound over time. The more an individual and a team can structure their mindsets and habits towards sustainable increases in performance the better all entities will be poised for success. As growth-minded professionals, we don't have to make leaps and bounds to create better outcomes; often we just need to dial down to the essentials and improve intentionally. 

Hear more about this topic of small improvements leading to big impacts, as well as other habits for success in property restoration, construction, and the workplace on Episode 126 of The DYOJO Podcast. 

Are there superstars? 

Is it a worthwhile pursuit to seek superstars for an organization? 

What if there are no superstars, only those who have superstar habits and their hard work pays off? 

Michael Jordan talks about all the shots he missed. Kobe Bryant would train before practice and stay after to get more shots in. Tiger Woods would hit hundreds of balls a day. 

What is the business equivalent? 

There are plenty of people who try hard but don't succeed. 

There is a mixture of commitment, coachability, and competence that is required for any level of success. Is there a special ingredient that only superstars have or do they just want and/or work harder to achieve their goals? Do they stay the course longer than their counterparts? 

Whatever the answer is, the best thing us regular humans can do is focus on mastering the basics. Mastering the basics centers our focus on what we can control. Mastering the basics puts us in position to take advantage of opportunities. Mastering the basics allows us to build a foundation that will support greater challenges. 

It's not enough for one person to be committed to superstar habits, it takes a team all working hard and willing to play their roles. A team of highly committed, readily coachable, and above average competent players will be in the running. 

Encourage the right habits. Remove the noise and wasted energies; i.e. strip away the bad habits.