Speed, and with it the expectation that everything can be
done quickly, is inherent to the mindset of modern business life, affecting
everything from communications, production, market responsiveness and
logistics. There are benefits of course, but the danger is it can give the
illusion that everything can and even should be done at speed – and that change
can be affected instantly.
Navigating a boat has factors inherently different from
driving a car. Steering and manoeuvring has to be done with anticipation – a
rudder is not as instantaneous as a car steering wheel. Even more significantly,
a boat does not have brakes – you need to slow down ahead of time or use
reverse gear to stop. To navigate a boat effectively, particularly in a crowded
marina, you need anticipation as you don’t always have the luxury of changing
your mind at the last minute.
So whilst speed of communications is great, it’s vital in
business not to carry the expectation that all can happen instantaneously.
There are some things where slow is definitely best, including strategic
decision-making, affecting major changes and altering the direction of a
business. These all require levels of
anticipation, precise actions, intelligence gathering and monitoring - all more
akin to navigating a boat than driving a car.
Slow is also best when it comes to leading people. We can’t
just expect to turn the steering wheel and assume everyone is with us –
leadership needs to anticipate the time it will take and the continual
reinforcement of new direction.
The anticipation and thoroughness needed to navigate a boat
is also needed when taking important decisions in our own life. When it comes
to moving, changing jobs or taking on new responsibilities it is best to takes
things slow and steady. Most car drivers today apparently use way too much
acceleration and braking – if you used the same approach to drive your life
you’d wear yourself out in no time!
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