Follow Through in All You Do

“Why do you need to follow through so much on a tennis or golf swing? After all, the ball is long gone.”

Thus began a post by marketing guru Seth Godin on his blog last week in which he talked about the need for follow-through. Godin explained that follow-through on your tennis swing is as vital as honoring a money-back guarantee with a former customer, or reinvesting in and retraining an existing employee who needs guidance rather than hiring someone new for the job.

“I think the reason is the same in all three cases. It’s not because the thing you do at the end of your swing matters. It’s because it’s a slippery slope.

If you know the last two inches of your follow through don’t matter, then you’ll start slowing down at three inches, or even four, and suddenly it doesn’t matter. If you draw the line on money back guarantees you’ll keep sliding backwards, bit by bit, until it does matter. If you’re quick to fire the employee who needs a lot of help, you’ll be quicker with those that need just a little, and then, pretty soon, it’s a very different place to work, isn’t it?

Obsessing about the last inch of follow through ensures that the important parts of what you do get just as much (if not more) commitment.”

— August 23, “Follow Through” (http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog)