Just about every routine or semi-routine activity and process in the military is turned into a drill. You’re advancing in hostile territory? There’s a drill for that. You’re entering a hide? There’s a drill for that. You’re under effective enemy fire? There’s a drill for that. The aim is to create standardized collective habits so that everyone knows what to do, how to do it, and when to do it.
In the same way, businesses can and should create and implement drills for all routine or expected tasks and procedures. Potential areas for creating and implementing drills:
- Calling and following up with prospects and clients.
- Regular calls and visits to clients.
- How many prospects and clients to call in a day, week, month.
- Next steps with clients and prospects.
- Regular follow up and feedback with employees.
- Regular team meetings.
- How to give direction and guidance to a team or a subordinate.
- How to recruit and hire.
- How to replace someone.
- Etc.
As you can see, just about every procedure and process in a company or organization is amenable to standardization and transformation into a drill. In other words, you can make excellence a repeatable habit.
© 2015 Richard Martin. Reproduction and quotes are permitted with proper attribution.