II.10.2019 - Slow Down, Go Faster – A Counter-Intuitive Life Lesson
If I was interviewed by a reporter — hopefully, not from the National Enquirer — and she asked me about how I would coach a young executive who is being challenged by 
getting things done on time while meeting others’ expectations for quality, creativity and innovation, I would recommend that the executive should consider slowing down. In fact, I would likely share several anecdotes from my own professional and personal past that would underline the point that trying to go fast to meet a deadline while sacrificing thoughtful planning and focus will, most often, not end well.
Ralph Simone, in his TED Talk quotes the martial arts guru, Chuck Norris: “Slow down and commit to a deliberate creative process.” Simone goes on to say that our need for speed is not sustainable. At this point, I could tell you to turn on your Breathe App or to consider a course in mindfulness or meditation, but I think that an analogous example might be better to make the point that going faster may have inherent limitations.
I have cycled my entire life and even though I enjoy a variety of physical activities, I would say that being on a bike still provides me with indescribable pleasure. I lean more towards mountain bikes rather than road bikes, but I love speed. It wasn’t until recently when my son sent me the link to a video produced by Wired Magazine about how it’s humanly impossible to pedal at a sustained speed of 60 km. Our bodies — even with the wonder drugs that Lance Armstrong took to win seven consecutive Tour de France titles — are not capable of this feat using the best bicycle technology and components available. This goal, like the 3-minute mile, is simply beyond peak human performance. And, so it goes with our day-to-day lives at work. We need to find the target and range for producing thoughtful, intentional and even inspiring results from our time investment.
In our work with people in all types of organizations from private to public to non-profit, there is a false premise that being busy is a good thing. And being busy often translates to appearing to be in a constant state of tension as one copes with the burden of deadlines, commitments, processing information and delivering work products. One senior manager I know looks like he is going to have a cardiac arrest whenever he conducts a meeting with his team. The people around the table respond to his loud voice, constant pacing and frantic hand motions as if they have to find a way to defuse a ticking time bomb before the meeting ends. Following one of his more intense meetings, I asked the manager jokingly if he had ever had a heart attack. I was hoping that he would take my well-intended coaching hint about his behaviour. He fired back with a proud and self-aware response, “No, but I’m a carrier.”
We need to slow down so we can go faster, learn and be better. Even a Virgin Galactic pilot doesn’t fly at 4,000 km/hr until the pre-flight checklist is complete. We have extraordinary tools and information to get stuff done and, yet, our technology is only as good as our approach to using it effectively. Take the time to think about what you are thinking about, jot it down and then stop thinking. Breathe deeply for a full minute and let the energy of the universe flow through you. It won’t take long and the people around you will appreciate it.