Almost three years ago and during the time when so many businesses were hurting and struggling to stay alive our blog entitled “One Degree” began as follows:
The other day I read a quote from the past attributed to Sam Parker and Mac Anderson. What struck me about it is the applicati
on and the value it adds to all of us today who are in the process of ‘righting’, rebuilding or just building our businesses to greater heights. It reads …
At 211 degrees…water is hot.
At 212 degrees…it boils.
And with boiling water, comes steam.
And steam can power a locomotive.
And, it’s that one extra degree that makes all the difference.”
Of course, it had application then and what about today knowing that we are operating in a significantly better business environment? Ah … we can breathe easier. But wait! Breathing easier in this sense, while welcome, has its’ own potential and unnecessary cost.
How about applying the ‘one extra degree’ to an overall business, department, team or just you today … now? As challenged as many were to devise creative ways to remain viable and needed in our job just a few years ago, today’s equivalent would be how to take advantage of every opportunity we can create to thrive and take our efforts to the extreme of their potential.
I read a blog written by Alex Fishleder entitled “4 Tips To Take Advantage Of An Economic Boom!” He identifies these ways to make the most of an economic UP-turn
- Increase Marketing and Sales Activity
- Market at least as hard as you did when you were working to survive. The potential is so much better
Embrace Technology
- Adopt and utilize a marketing plan that uses the tools that you deem are the most impactful for your company rather than trying to use all that are and will come into existence.
- Deliver Stellar Customer Service
- Every bit as critical in good time and more so. Your customer rules and let them know it.
- Sell to your current customers
- In the drive to find new customers too often we let the good relationships of the past fade into oblivion when keeping them is the easier of two choices. Nurture all existing and past relationships and the new ones will come
As a first step, you need to define what the ‘extra one degree’ would mean to you and the job you do. Knowing this and understanding that path, don’t be fooled into thinking that it’s a snap or it’s no big deal. After all we’re talking about the ONE degree that takes us from ‘hot’ to ‘boiling’ and that, in turn, can make the difference between good and great … rip-roaring success or mediocrity.
Whenever a coaching client takes the step of cranking it up just one degree it has had the effect of opening a very 
wide door of possibility. What might it do for your organization or for you as a member of the team? It’s exciting exploration and can make a huge difference in the success you experience. No sweat as long as you wear warm weather clothing to withstand the boiling heat you’ll encounter!
Mike Dorman
