Do the Little Things Right...Stop Cutting Corners

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Read time: 2 Minutes

At rugby practice, the one part of every practice we also dreaded was…cardio. It was the one aspect that we knew we always needed to do and can always improve on, it just sucked doing.

Some players had better cardio than others, and some tried to fake injuries so as not to have to run, but Coach also used cardio as a form of discipline and self-awareness.

“Around the cones!!!” he would yell.

You have to think and operate under pressure. Not only for yourself but also for your teammates.

You work as a team, you look out for teammates. Your teammates look out for you.

Was this newsletter forwarded to you?

So we would run, cone to cone, sprinting, back and forth, back and forth as a unit.

At the end of each practice, Coach would call out a number.

“37”

Coach was counting each time a player would to the cone but not run around the cone and cut it short. The cones were placed there for a reason. Thus, not properly doing the drill correctly.

As a result of the drill not being done correctly, the team would have to suffer the consequences. You might not have made any mistakes, you ran around the cones, but others did not and it was noticed.

Coach would mention that listening and holding yourself accountable is a critical part to holding the team together. Since even the simplest of directions were not followed, the team, not the individual, needs to be punished.

Now…because at that specific practice, we missed the cone 37 times, Coach made us pay for cutting corners, with 37 sprints to end the practice.

We were absolutely gassed. Exhausted. But we all put ourselves in this position. It was our own fault.

It was a team effort. Not just the individuals (or selected individuals) who didn’t follow directions.

Let’s dance.

Why Should I Care?

So…what’s the moral of this story?

Even the smallest of corners that you cut, can lead to consequences. You might not have cut any corners, but if someone else did, what are the ramifications?

You might not think it might have any effect on you, but you need to look at what effect it will have on you and your team in the long run. Because it will catch up with you.

It can absolutely sneak up on you and then you can be in an absolute world of hurt. Not just you, but your team around you. They could have done absolutely nothing wrong, and now they are being reactive to the situation in front of them.

Cutting corners might offer short-term wins, but it sets up long-term losses. If you neglect the fundamentals that built your reputation, your competitors won’t. Maintaining excellence in your client interactions is non-negotiable.

How It Impacts Your Daily Life

Every missed follow-up, poorly handled issue, or lack of engagement chips away at trust. Over time, this neglect translates into reduced sales, missed opportunities, and strained relationships. Revisit the basics—like proactive communication, timely service, and genuine care—you fortify those relationships that keep the revenue flowing and the customers happy.

We slowly learn from our mistakes, you would see players calling others out to run around the cones, literally pulling their teammates to take the extra step because they knew what would happen if they didn’t do it now, what would come in the long run.

They’ve learned their lesson.

Action Item

Set aside time this week to take a closer look at your top five client relationships.

Ask yourself:

• Are you giving them the attention they deserve?

• Are there areas where you can improve?

• Are we positioning ourselves with our clients to help them in the long run?

• Are our Executives not listening to what our clients are telling us? Are they trying to push something that doesn’t make sense?

• Can we go deeper into our existing accounts? Are we not addressing critical elements of our current clients?

Pick one specific action—whether it’s scheduling a check-in, offering proactive support, or simply thanking them for their business—and implement it immediately.

Rugby has taught me many lessons over the years, this is just one of them. We would run, and we would run a lot. Practice was harder than the matches. It was supposed to be harder. Practice prepared us for the matches. We learned from our mistakes during the week so we could limit them during the matches.

We learned from the mistakes we made as individuals and as a team.

Cutting corners may offer a short-lived advantage, but it erodes the very foundation on which you’ve built your success.

Whether you are working to improve your internal processes, your stakeholder engagement, getting a proposal out the door, closing a new prospect, or why an executive doesn’t want to invest in a new market or product, provide clear reasoning, practical advice, and a call to action that your team can easily follow through on.

See you next week.

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