Book Club August – The Power Of Small
Editorial commentary provided by Kathi King.
The Power of Small: Why Little Things Make All the Difference by Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval is my type of motivational book! It’s a short read, makes sense and provides me with tips and information I can use in both my professional and personal life. To sum it up: Yes, it’s common sense, and we all should pay attention to small talk and little things in our lives, but let’s be truthful…we don’t!
In Thaler and Koval’s introduction, they discuss how the details get lost in the flood of digital data. We have become a nation of skimmers, and our attention is limited to sound bites, live video clips and just the headlines. Because of this, we overlook small clues, simple gestures and random acts of kindness. Even though they are great fans of Richard Carlson, the author of Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff, these authors do feel that a lot of “small stuff” really does matter in our personal and professional life. Listen to this:
You will notice each chapter begins with a quote from someone who did a small thing that made a big difference. Thus, why we remember them. The first chapter starts with a quote from Mother Teresa.
In this chapter, we learn how one great haircut helped Larry a computer programmer makes a career change. We’re reminded to read our emails once more before we hit send, for our communications say a lot about how careful and meticulous we can be on a project. And – even better! – they tell us to write a personal Thank You note, which promises a greater impression than just an email.
The third chapter, “Make Small Talk,” begins with a quote from Mark Twain.
Once again they tell us a story. This one is about two families who lived during the Nazi Germany reign. We learn that both men were actual shoemakers and competitors. Every morning when they would pass each other they would say simply, “Hello.” On an early morning raid, the German army was rounding up all of the Jews in the neighborhood. One of the shoemakers saw what was getting ready to happen to the other shoemaker and he spoke up to the soldiers saying, “You can’t arrest this family, they are not Jewish.” When he was asked how he knew that he told them that the man was his cousin. He said this with an authoritative demeanor and unwavering tone which convinced the soldiers that he was telling the truth. Because of the simple greeting each morning to a stranger, an entire family was saved from torture.
Chapter Six is entitled, “Watch Your Cues and Clues.” Danny Meyer, restaurateur and owner of Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern, Shake Shack, Blue Smoke, Tabla, Eleven Madison Park, and the Modern in New York City tells us how his first fly fishing lesson taught him to pick up a stone and to look what larvae was actually hatching underneath the rock. By doing this he learned what kind of fly he had to tie to his line so he could catch the fish. Don’t be fooled, “you can’t fool the fish.” He took this lesson into the business world and tells us, “You can’t fool people. If you’re not willing to care about that small of a detail, someone else is gonna catch more fish than you are.”
We learn in this chapter that he no longer simply greets his guests when they come into one of his restaurants. Before a person even walks through his door, he takes the reservation list and learns everything he can about them via the internet. He then makes a point of taking time to talk with them at their table.
Also in this important chapter, we are warned to pay attention to signals, a point of particular interest to me. The authors offer that becoming fluent in body language is more essential now than ever before. They share a story about Charlotte Beers, a pioneering woman once in advertising on Madison Avenue. In 1970, she won the Sears account simply by not saying a word. Instead, she pulled out an electric drill, took it apart and put it back together again.
This book comes to a close with how small changes have changed the world on a massive level. For instance, we explore one man’s determination to find an inexpensive and durable wheel chair that could be used by those in need in developing countries. His vision resulted in a cheap summer yard chair, two mountain bike tires and cheap casters, but it became a miracle for thousands of people. Regardless of the challenges people face, hardworking Americans – our neighbors and friends – are giving up a little of their free time to help others.
After finishing, I closed the book and then took a moment to review my notes in the margins. I found that I had underlined 88 points of small things that would make a difference in my life and those around me. Wow. The Power of Small Things and Why Little Things Make All the Difference will definitely be a book I keep close by and reference every so often.
I’d love to hear of the small things you found in the book that would make a difference in your own personal and professional life.
Please share!
At Skirts In Dirt, we hope that our Book Club will bring us closer together. Our goal is to highlight great reads we feel capture the essence of “Business…Body, Mind and Spirit.” If you have a book that you would like to share with other Skirts, please send us a note at bookreview@skirtsindirt.com.