Getting better

I've just finished reading Atul Gawande's book, 'Better - surgeon's notes on performance'. Not much there that's relevant to running an accountancy business you might think...but you'd be wrong. Gawande looks at systems and how people work in systems - his specialism is healthcare but there are lessons for any business or organisation looking to improve.

There are some great stories in the book but the most compelling one for me describes the bell curve. We are all familiar with this curve from statistics and 'normal distributions' in school maths lessons. Gawande applies this to performance in the care of cystic fibrosis and concludes that the best performers are continuously striving to improve and small margins make a surprisingly big difference. The best, keep changing to stay at the right end of the bell curve.

He ends the book with 5 tips to help you improve - become a 'positive deviant' to use his terminology:

1. Ask a question

If you are a professional - doctor, accountant, lawyer - the tendency is to focus on the task at hand with a client. Time is short, you have your list to get through. Ask an unscripted question and make more of a personal connection

2. Don't complain

When mixing with fellow professionals, don't whinge. It's draining and not productive. Lighten up and focus on the positives

3. Count something

Accountants like this one. What gets measured, gets done. Try counting some aspect of performance in your area and see what you learn.

4. Write something

I'm following this tip. The process of writing makes you think about things more deeply. Helps you to have an opinion. Blog, letter, book. Whatever, just have a go.

5. Change

Be receptive to change and become and early adopter

So if you are currently 'good', this book can inspire you to be better and I will be taking some of that inspiration to work with me this week

www.base52.co.uk