Page 153 - How to Create a Winning Organization

9

LITTLE THINGS MAKE BIG

THINGS HAPPEN

“Think small. Work hard. Get Good.”

igh performance and production are achieved only
Hthrough the identification and perfection of small but rele-
vant details—little things done well. Sloppiness in tending to de-
tails is common in sports as well as other types of organizations.
When it occurs, blame rests with you, the leader, not with your
team. Those under your leadership must be taught that little things
make the big things happen. In fact, they must first learn there are
no big things, only a logical accumulation of little things done at a
very high standard of performance.
I derived great satisfaction from identifying and perfecting those
“trivial” and often troublesome details, because I knew, without
doubt, that each one brought UCLA a bit closer to our goal: com-
petitive greatness. If you collect enough pennies you’ll eventually
be rich. Each relevant and perfected detail was another penny in
our bank.
Often we place such emphasis on distant goals (annual sales tar-
gets in business; a national title or championship in sports) that
inadequate attention is given to what it takes to get there—the day-
by-day particulars of how you conduct business. At UCLA I sought

135
Copyright © 2005 by John Wooden and Steve Jamison. Click here for terms of use.