Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts with the label speed

On the Usefulness of Organization

What if I had said "hierarchy" instead of "organization?" Would you have a different reaction. Like many people, I have spent considerable time fighting hierarchy. It is often necessary to do away with the old because it just doesn't work anymore. It always feels like the structure is there to slow you down, to prevent you from acting as fast as it feels you need to act. Is that always true?  Although we rebel against hierarchy, without clear and structured organization we fall apart, bit by bit. Chaos doesn't need a catalyst to cause catastrophic results.  It may (often!) be better to pause. Breathe. Ponder. Test. Ask. While many a manager has stood in my way during ambitious projects -- guess what? The times that they were right to slow the project down in order to "get it right" and in order to weigh all of the side-effects made profound differences in the effort.  Move quickly, yes, but not so quickly that you break what you'd considered un...

Go Slow to Go Fast

What happens if a leader goes too fast for the team? Does it do any good to leave the team behind? High performance leaders remember that they are ahead of their team. It may take a minute for them to catch up. It may take some convincing to get everyone on board. You might need to slow down to gather momentum. Otherwise a leader could miss something important. Travel too fast and you'll see too little. Stop. Breathe. Maintain your balance. Center yourself and your team. You'll see (and do) so much more. -- doug smith