THE 50% RULE

THE 50% RULE 

I believe that to be fantastic at anything, you have to focus on what I call the other 50% – the 50% of what you do that makes the difference between good and fantastic.

I was having one of those strange conversations at a barbecue last year along the lines of; ‘Bin men ain’t what they used to be!’


One woman interrupted though, saying that her bin men were fantastic (yes she even used that word). What did she mean?

Was she marvelling at the way they picked up her bags of rubbish and threw them in the back of the truck?

I don’t think so.

I think she was talking about the fact that they smiled, said good morning, closed the gate etc.

An elderly aunt of mine was having an operation in hospital. When I asked her how she was doing and if she was being looked after OK, she said “Oh yes. Everybody’s been lovely and my surgeon is fantastic.” (that word again). Again – what was she talking about? Had they let her sit up and watch? Was it the skill and dexterity of the surgeon she was commenting on, how efficient they were? – Of course not. That, we would expect. No, she was telling me about how friendly they had been, how caring and understanding.

She was having a routine operation but as a 78-year-old who had never had an operation before, she was understandably very apprehensive. You can imagine can’t you, that some surgeons would be very dismissive of her fears – just telling her not to worry – that it was just routine. Not this surgeon. This one understood her fears and spent time reassuring her, caring about her as a human being, chatting about her family etc., – she wasn't just seen as the ‘next patient!’

It doesn’t matter what you do, be it bin man, surgeon, hairdresser… the 50% rule applies.

50% of what makes you fantastic at what you do, is the other stuff...Communication, attitude, confidence, motivation, self management etc. Its this other stuff that enables you to do the things you have to do in your job or life and do them well.

Every sales person knows how to sell, but its only the best ones that use the other stuff to achieve fantastic results. Every waiter or waitress knows how to smile, but...! Studying fantastic people – successful people in all walks of life over a 25-year period, it is clear to me that they share common characteristics that apply to anyone.

It doesn’t matter what it is you want to be fantastic at – 50% of it will be about these common factors – I call them the 7 characteristics of Fantastic People – the other 50%.

Read more about these 7 characteristics in my new book - Fantastic - When good is not enough!