Maverick’s testosterone-drenched line to his partner Goose in the 1986 film Top Gun became iconic…fast. Since then, the thirst for speed in business and life has become unquenchable. (Interestingly, the thirst for coffee has also increased exponentially. Number of Starbucks locations in 1986 – 6. In 2018 – over 28,000. Coincidence? I think not…). We are trained to think fast. We are pressed to act fast. Speed is everything. And it seems to me that the unintended consequence of thinking and acting so fast has been a lack of thoughtfulness. I think it’s killing us, but we are moving too rapidly to see it.

“If you don’t have time to do a thing right, when will you have time to do it over?“ – Coach John Wooden

I see people working hard, but way too often things don’t get done efficiently or well. Despite all the tech tools to make us “better,” more mistakes are made. Frequently, errors are compounded as the can gets kicked to the next person in the office or email chain. Missed details. Rampant obliviousness to nuance. Poorly executed communication. Morale and customer service suffer. Listening skills…who’s got time to listen?

Speed Has Its Place

Don’t get me wrong, speed is essential in business. This is especially true when it comes to innovation (being at the “edge of the envelope” in Top Gun parlance). Tom Peters preaches this relentlessly and I think he’s right. One of his presentation slides remains a favorite – “Fail. Forward. Fast.” Mr. Peters is also correct when he says success requires a bias for action.  But when it comes to day to day administration and especially customer service, balance is needed.  Even in our immediate gratification world, a fast but lousy solution won’t cut it.

Preparation and Position

“Be quick but don’t hurry.” -Coach John Wooden

This is one of my all-time favorite Coach Wooden quotes. He emphasized the importance of being in the right place at the right time. That means preparing mentally, thinking strategically, and executing the plan. Failure to think ahead leads to players rushing into a play out of position and out of control. Whether it’s basketball or customer service, fast but not smart is usually ineffective.

I used to use a quote attributed to Lincoln to illustrate the value of preparation, but apparently it’s apocryphal. In doing the research, I found this gem and like it better:

A woodsman was once asked, “What would you do if you had just five minutes to chop down a tree?” He answered, “I would spend the first two and a half minutes sharpening my axe.” Let us take a few minutes to sharpen our perspective.

A failure to plan may lead to last minute heroics that might look good in the moment, but it’s a poor strategy in the long run. As Seth Godin tells it, cold yeast is the key to baking good bread.

It can feel like you don’t have time to think and plan. That’s stress playing its cruel trick on your brain. A sharp perspective leads to directed, thoughtful, and efficient action. Focused energy creates quickness. In the end, planning is a time investment, not an expense.

Stop, Drop & Roll

No matter how well you plan, the business day is on fire. We can jet from one thing to another and not realize we are wasting our time and energy. Just like they taught us as kids, if you catch on fire don’t keep running. Stop and put the fire out.

Plan to make yourself stop. Disconnect, recharge, analyze and adjust the plan as needed. It may seem counter-intuitive to slow your roll. But you will put yourself in position to get more done in less time overall. More quickness, less hurrying.

Coach of champions and 90 Second Rule creator Jim Fannin suggests thinking about your day like a football game. Why do teams take breaks at the quarters and the half? There are lessons there. Now expand the concept of regular breaks and regrouping to your weeks, months, quarters and years. It can make a huge difference for individuals, and organizations. But remember, time and events will fly by. If you don’t plan the breaks, they won’t happen.

Stop. Think. Act. Rinse. Repeat.

Get Off The Hamster Wheel

If you feel like this little guy, there’s your sign. The pace of progress and life will continue to increase. It always impacts you, but it doesn’t have to control you. You can still be fast, just be smart about it. Slow down a little.