I have been telling people this for several years. The reprimand, for me, started with my job teaching Quality Improvement at Chevron. In that work we found, to no one’s surprise, that people often focus on the task (solving a problem) much more than the process: understanding its causes (and planning solutions accordingly).
Most of us in Western culture can easily focus on solving a problem or removing a barrier. After all, we know what’s wrong, just fix it! As we all know from experience, action bias (a focus on the task) often leads to incomplete solutions, solutions that cause more problems (perhaps worse than the original), solutions that don’t solve.
Go slow to go fast.
If we take the time to focus on the process (how we solve the problem) and use a sequence of steps that includes understanding the causes of the problem, we often achieve better results. The problem is that these steps can seem like they take a lot of time. In the moment, that time is often seen as a waste (“Let’s just solve the problem!”).
Go slow to go fast.
Several current events have recently come together to remind me of this saying (yes, I hear myself saying it in my own voice!) On the flight from Chicago to Oakland recently, I was reading a book and left with almost two hours left on the flight . This is very strange behavior for me, especially when I am really enjoying the book. I put it down because I decided that a little thought would make the book more valuable and enjoyable.
Go slow to go fast.
After putting it down and contemplating what she had read, the stewardess went to collect empty drinks. She mistakenly thought my Coke was empty. When she started to pick it up quickly, she spilled it (mostly on me!) She certainly didn’t mean to spill it and it was very helpful in my cleanup efforts. The point is, he ended up spending a lot more time with me than he would have if the Coke hadn’t spilled. Slow down to go fast. A trivial example? Maybe. But often the greatest truths are seen in the simplest acts.
This sentence is also on my mind as I work with a colleague to build a workshop on consulting skills. This workshop will have plenty of time for reflection, personal learning, and process. I hope to impress, through my actions, the importance of the process, the importance of slowing down.
There are examples, large and small, of this advice all around us. Since starting this Vantagepoints I have seen many! (Including my tendency to write notes by hand too quickly, which makes it difficult for the reader to read them and can cause communication problems, etc.)
I urge you to think about applying this thought to your life. I’m sure you’ll come to the same conclusion I did: that we can often improve our results simply by slowing down and focusing on the process and the task at hand.
When you come to this conclusion, I urge you to pick a task or problem you are working on and apply this advice. Decelerate. Focusing on the process you are using to resolve the issue will provide clarity and help you avoid mistakes. It can be a bit frustrating, but it will be time well spent in the long run.