Going Slow to Go Fast Later

Rush, rush, rush - this is how we operate today. But, what if we slowed our roll? How might we benefit if we simply chose to slow down, with ALL of what we do?

For more than a century, we have been escalating the pace (and expectations) we have with performing work. Our quest to maximize production and worker productivity has collectively created results that nobody wants. From added stress and burnout - at the individual level - to perpetuating problem generation factories - at the corporate level - to woefully addressing systemic issues at humanity level.

It is stunning to think that on the one hand humanity has so much collective potential but then on the other hand we are suckers for getting stuck in outdated seeing, thinking, acting, and feeling. We see viscerally how the push for more, for faster...affects us individually, within our companies, and across broader humanity yet we continue - same old, same old. Why? Yet, hope remains as once we are aware of a problem we can, in theory, do something about it.

I believe a movement, an undercurrent of discontent is brewing that demands better - that believes the opposite is true. That by going slow first, we can indeed go faster later (but in a more sustainable, acceptable way). Much has been written, and companies are experimenting with slowing their roll - beginning with how they problem-solve. So, for example, instead of exerting our historical attitude towards problem-solving of "see problem, kill problem" (which only treats symptom-level issues), companies are finally thawing to a better, more sustainable problem-solving method of "see problem, UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM, then kill problem" approach.

Further, what companies are slowly realizing is that by slowing their roll, to consider a situation, problem, or opportunity more fully they are emerging with higher-quality thinking leading to higher-quality solutions. And this, in turn, is resulting in reduced operational costs, better use of corporate resources, and improved customer experiences, among other things as problems/issues are being resolved on the first pass.

Related Reading

• Slowing Down to Accelerate Problem Solving: A Modern Paradox

• De-load Moments: The Magic of Toggling Fast and Slow

• Creating Results That Nobody Wants

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