Recently I was working with a client who has an intense job. Her organization supports survivors of sexual assault; sadly, the client list is very long, and the wait list for services is even longer. She’s opening satellite offices in other counties, and the transit time is burning her out. Stopping to build out needed infrastructure isn’t happening, much less any time for self-care. This client could be headed for a crisis.
I asked, “What would happen if you paused to build a plan for your satellites AND took a few hours (or even an entire day) for yourself?” She stared at me like I’d lost my mind. I could see her resistance and feel her commitment to her limitations. NO WAY was she going to slow down to organize and plan. There was too much to do!
Sound familiar?
America’s addiction to pace is concerning. We push ourselves until our body MAKES us stop, then we get right back at it! IF we could slow down BEFORE we hit the crisis point, we could avoid the inevitable shutdown. Sometimes we must slow down to go fast. This may sound counterintuitive, especially if we are committed to our “pace addiction” or working to the point of crisis. I see so many leaders and their organizations speeding through the day/week/month trying to meet the needs of employees, clients, investors, family, and friends as the “I’m so busy” chant frantically runs on auto play in their brains.
The truth is, when we only run sprints rather than maintain a steady consistent pace, we are at risk for increased errors, miscommunications, and personal burnout. Research shows that when we slow down, not only do we give our body and mind a break, but our productivity increases. Slowing down improves our mental health, increases creativity, and improves our chances for success. It gives us time to assess the environment, gather more resources or information, and invest in a best course of action.
How do we slow down to go fast?
Enlist your team.
Have a conversation with your team. Get clarity on the goal, mission, or purpose of the work. Are you meeting expectations and hitting quality results? Explore the pain points that exist for you and the team, and address these questions:
Does this pace make sense?
Is it sustainable?
What might happen if we slow down?
Can we flare our efforts, then pause?
What are the pros and cons of a pause?
Watch for stress and burnout.
Are you or your team members showing signs of energy depletion? Is there a sense of job detachment or cynicism? Is work performance in decline? These are all key indicators of burnout and believe me, your bottom line will suffer. Address the burnout before it hits crisis, and your people get sick, quit, or leave.
Focus on work blend.
Have you noticed a loss of efficiency and productivity? Is it time to take a break and go for a walk? Perhaps you can take an afternoon off to re-energize. Are you or team members working weekends and/or late nights? Can you shut down your email or social media and engage with humans face-to-face? These are a few ways we can look to blend all the sweetness of having a balanced life. In order to do so, I would argue we all need to slow down.
What if sustained growth and productivity were the norm for you, your organization, and your life? The choice to slow down doesn’t necessary mean we slow down forever and never catch up. Avoid the hamster wheel of stress and anxiety by choosing to pause, taking time to build a plan, exploring options, and resting the body and brain; the opportunity to build a proper way forward will actually speed or sustain growth. Before we know it, we can ramp back up more efficient and refreshed knowing we are on the best course for success.
If you’re looking to slow down to go fast, let’s talk.