GO THE EXTRA MILE

“The man who will go that second mile, the man who will give more than is expected of him – is the man who succeeds” –Anonymous

     When saddled with a given task or responsibility, people generally behave in one of four ways. Some have the proclivity for ignoring their assignment. In this instance, they shirk their responsibilities altogether. Others may perform below expectation whether deliberately or coincidentally. This is where an attempt is made to perform a given task howbeit, not enough effort is directed towards ensuring that the assigned task is completed.

            Yet another group of people go a step further by doing exactly as required. They perform up to expectation. They are employees who will ensure that they report to work on time and exit their office premises as soon as it is 5pm, that is, if their closing time is 5pm.

            It is however the final class of people who have been observed to chalk phenomenal feats and make a significant difference in their sphere of assignment. This class of people (Organizations included) makes concerted efforts at going the extra mile in the pursuance of their given assignments. It is no wonder Napoleon Hill quipped, “Make it your habit to render more service and better service than that for which you are paid, and lo! Before you realize what has happened, you will find that the world is paying you far more than you do”.

            The employee who is eventually promoted and does well in his or her line of business is one who goes the extra mile. Such an employee does more work (quantity) and better work (quality) than is required of him or her. “An extra miler” reports to work earlier than expected and closes from work later than expected, that is, if need be. “An extra miler” is obviously the pride of a well meaning employer.

            In a similar vein, a business organization that promises to deliver top notch services will do well if indeed their promise is backed by a corresponding action; service offerings must be top notch. Better still organizations must consciously develop the penchant for going the extra mile. If an organizations contracts with a client to provide a particular service by 4pm for instance, as much as practicable, that business organization ought to provide the said service earlier than promised, say 3pm. Brian Tracy, a top sales trainer and Best-selling author tells a brief but remarkable story of how he, a high school dropout went from being a door to door sales person to managing a six country sales organization and earning thousands of dollars a month. He went the extra mile to get in touch with some top sales people, learn as much as he could about what made them successful and imbibed those lessons. He diligently followed through with the valuable lessons he gleaned from his superiors.

            It is heartwarming that at some markets, when foodstuffs such as yams are purchased, some traders give the customer what he or she has paid for and move a step further to provide an additional product or service for free. It may take the form of adding some more foodstuffs slightly above that which was paid for in their bid to show their appreciation for the purchase. By this, some traders successfully retain many of their customers.

            It is my contention that going the extra mile is a non negotiable route to accomplishing greatness in business and in virtually every facet of life. It may be tough, challenging and uncomfortable but it will eventually yield fruitful dividends, howbeit in the long run.

            Do you want to excel in your chosen career? Do you desire to make phenomenal progress in life? Do you want to retain your customers/clients? Do you want to have a huge customer base? Do you want your business to do well? Well, if your answer is in the affirmative with respect to any of the above posed questions, then you have no option but to go the extra mile. Make it a rule to continually reflect and brainstorm on ways by which going the extra mile may be exemplified in your line of business. Dare to go the extra mile. If done right over time, the results will be there to show. 

Written by Daniel Dela Dunoo (Freelance writer,  Professional Marketer)

dudelda3@yahoo.com