Sweat the Small Things

Sweat the Small Things

author: Lee Buttolph

I found it interesting during my time in the Marine Corps how much the Staff NCO's focused on the small things.  

In Iraq, the dust flew 24x7.  It created this thin film of dust on everything within hours of cleaning it.  Yet every day I would see a junior Marine outside sweeping the walkways.  This wasn't inside where everyone worked but the walkways around our main Command Operations Center.  Why oh why would the Staff NCO's make the junior Marines do this?

Here is why I believe it is important to sweat the small stuff.  It gives your boss confidence in you.  If they see that you are worried about the small things there is a good chance you are taking care of the big things.  If you don't take care of the small things your boss is going to feel compelled to do a little more micro-managing of you on the big stuff.