Little Things Mean a Lot?

I was slightly off my normal "take-off" time to go to the office. As the thought floated in while I was driving, that I could be late (a minute or two) to punch-in at the office door, I realised that "little things mean a lot".

At a training seminar in June 2008, the trainer informed that the doors would close at 10.45 a.m. I was in the long queue to get a cup of coffee, and it was already 10.40 a.m. The long walk to the seminar room with the hot coffee cup ensured I missed the 10.45 a.m. window. Some ladies missed the 10.45 window because of the long queue in the toilet (any lady has had the experience?).

All had to wait for the next window of opportunity. There were murmurings of complaint of the lack of sufficient toilet facilities. These were ignored. I didn't dare murmur about the coffee queue. It was 15 minutes later, that the doors were opened.

Will you feel good to go in, with all eyes on you? Don't you regret missing some of the information that was imparted during the 15 minutes you were "locked out"? Especially if the speaker was a multi-millionaire?

This particular trainer was similarly raving and ranting at another seminar that I attended. Those who attended his seminar for the first time would be wondering, "Why does he rant and rave, as if possessed by naughty spirits, over a little one or two minutes or 5 minutes delay in entering the seminar room, by 5% of the participants?"

Why do you think that he insisted that you are on time? And everytime?

I attended a Quality Management training seminar organised by Japan's Association for Overseas Technical Scholarship (AOTS) in Yokohama, Japan in July 1992 (yes ... in the last century). We were given a revised travel itinerary sheet, one day after the original was given. I scrutinised the sheet to see what the revision was all about.

It was that the time for the arrival of the Shinkansen (bullet train) had been revised from 1042 to 1041. A difference of 1 fricking minute! Do you think it is that important to revise the sheet?

If you arrived at the station platform exactly at 1042, would it be important for you to have received the revised itinerary copy?

The Japanese are known for their attention to detail. Sticklers for punctuality. Worship the God of Quality.

Are you surprised that the Japanese economy developed super fast from the ashes of World War II? That Toyota has overtaken General Motors (GM)? That Toyota has big cash reserves, while GM will go bankrupt soon (if there is no government cash bail-out)?

Have you attended meetings where the Meeting Chairman is late? What do you think of the Chairman? Thank your lucky stars because you too were delayed (hehehe ... not you of course, but your friends)?

I once worked for one of the biggest (if it was not the biggest) multinational oil corporation in the world. Meetings were always on time. The Meeting Chairman always started the meeting on time, and it generally ended on time. Do you have respect for whoever chaired the meeting? Do you think the organisation is a fricking good one, or a mediocre one? Would you be a better employee, or manager, if you worked in this corporation?

You are aware that "Procrastination is a thief of time". Yet, how many people (no, ... not you, of course) procrastinate? You may miss the Shinkansen train. You may miss the golden business opportunity.

You may miss the marriage wagon ... so, go tell him (or her) that he (or she) is the answer to your lonely prayer ... an angel from above ... NOW! PRONTO!

The moral of the story? Little things mean a lot, because what you do for the little things, reflects what you do for the big things. If you do not know how to manage your present income of $10,000 a year, you will not know how to manage an income of $1,000,000.

If you mismanage your $10,000 income now, you will mismanage the future $1,000,000 dowry that you receive from your future beautiful wife. Even the future beautiful bungalow that is part of the marriage dowry you will receive. You got it? ... I mean ... not the money and the bungalow ... hehehe!

I wish you Success in your undertakings, and Good Health and Wealth to you and your family. Take care!