Small bets

This morning I stopped to take care of something important on the way to work.

I knew there would be a line, so I got there early. The polls open at 7:00, I was there at 6:45, and there were already 10 cars in the parking lot.

But everybody was waiting in their car.

"Why aren't they lining up?" I thought. No idea. And I'd really like to get this done and get on with my day.

So I got out and went to stand by the door. Before I even reached it, everyone else got out of their cars too.

I was now first in line.

Everyone else's behavior is not necessarily an indication of the “right” behavior. It's okay to go first.

The door was unlocked. I went in and proceeded down the hallway. Everyone followed me.

The hallway was long and winding, and it became clear we had all walked past the voting office.

We all turned on our heels and walked back until we found it.

I was now last in line.

Merely taking decisive action does not guarantee a win. You can still wind up last.

I laughed at myself, but then I realized that everyone ahead of me had already been ahead of me in the parking lot.

I was no worse off than when I began.

A failed attempt is not always a significant loss.

Here's the thing:

The reason small bets can add up to big wins (over time) is because while the upside might be nice, the downside can be very small.

There's often very little to lose, and much to gain, by trying something new.

• Thinking about buying a book, but not sure if it will help you in your work? Buy it and find out. What can you lose, $20?

• Wondering if a newly discovered CRM feature will help solve a problem, but not sure how it works? Try it, carefully, on a small scale, and observe the results. You'll definitely learn something, at a cost of what, a few minutes of your time?

Big bets merit careful deliberation.

Small bets, not so much.

All the best,
A.