Busy?

I’m behind.  Right now my “To Do” pile is substantially bigger than my “Done” pile. It’s not that we’re not getting things done. We’re doing good things, and we’re doing them well. We just happen to find more things to do faster than we can get them all done.

At a former client’s office I had two people use the analogy, “We move fast here – sometimes it’s like trying to change your shoes in the middle of the race.”  Interesting analogy isn’t it.  This company is in a deadline driven manufacturing business with lots of customers that expect timely delivery of quality product.  Clearly there is a need for managers to have a sense of urgency in the way they operate, but do they need to go so fast they don’t have time to change their shoes?

I’ve worked in some time-sensitive businesses.  Most recently it was magazine publishing where the material had to be at press by a set day each month, no questions asked.  Yet, the question was asked – a lot – and many times deadlines were pushed back.  When that happens, the people at the next step in the process have to rush their work, often making errors or simply having to work harder or faster than they should.  Usually little good comes from rushing.

What I observed was that while all magazines had the same monthly deadlines, some were chronically late with panic ensuing on a monthly basis, while others were consistently on time or even a bit early.  While one Editor was frantically trying to get his book put to bed, another was mid-way through the development of next month’s issue.

There were probably lots of reasons for this.  Maybe one Editor was more organized or had a more experienced staff.  Maybe one didn’t plan well or frequently had unforeseen problems.  But one thing I observed was that to varying degrees, those that were chronically scrambling liked it that way.  They were “I perform better under pressure” people.  They like the excitement of the scramble – the challenge of expediting – the thrill of sliding in under the wire.

So back to my client – I posed a question to the CEO asking if the attitude “we move fast here” was a source of organizational pride or frustration.  From his perspective was the “rush” nature of the business really because the company needed to meet many deadlines, or was it a somewhat “manufactured” value?  For an answer I got a contemplative look and “Hmmm, good question.”

I’ll contend that some organizations culturally like the excitement that comes from moving fast.  They like to react and see themselves as flexible and nimble.  While I’m all about a company being nimble and responsive to customer needs, I’m concerned that those who intentionally live in the fast lane might be putting undue stress on the organization.  Aren’t there parts of the business that would perform better if not always rushing?  Might we not get better “rush” performance if we didn’t have to do it all time?  Are we risking burning out good people because they never get to catch their breath?

There’s no right answer here.  Every organization has its unique issues, but it’s worth thinking about.  If your company is starting to get holes in the bottom of your shoes, maybe a little more planning and contemplative time might improve the overall performance.  Remember, it was the tortoise that won the race.

Explore posts in the same categories: Leadership

Tags: Change, Coaching, Leadership, Management, Performance, sense of urgency, Teamwork, Trust

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