For anyone that has watched or played golf you will know how important your follow through is in driving the ball to the target. I always found this counterintuitive growing up as I couldn't understand how after hitting the ball your swing could have a lasting impact.
What I came to learn was that your follow through is critical to consistency and repetitively hitting the ball as best you can.
Over the weekend I found myself learning this exact same lesson, but this time it wasn't for golf, it was Aaron Smith (arguably the best half back in world rugby) talking in-depth about how he spends time on his follow through after every pass.
It seems obvious now, but it was such an easy element to gloss over as a fellow number 9. When I'm passing the ball during a game I find myself immediately questioning "what's my next job?", that I end up neglecting this crucial and final step.
Whether, or not, you play rugby, golf, or any other sport for that matter, you can still apply this principle to your working life. When completing tasks make sure to execute the follow through. For example:
- Your post meeting follow up strategy, confirming action points and delegating ownership of tasks
- Seeing an internal initiative through to completion/implementation
- Following up after networking with someone
This will often be the difference that maximises your return on investment. It is often the final piece of the puzzle that people miss when creating content. If you have shared your insight on a topic, how can you present this to the people that are important to you? In answering this question, you should be able to define a repeatable process that places your insight in the hands of your key business contacts.