I’m here to tell you that while “faster is always better” is a common
assumption, it is not always true, and is in fact many times wrong.
I was fortunate to learn this from an educator years ago. He was the father of a friend of mine and I was lucky enough to learn it while hanging out with my friends, but that didn’t make it any less valuable. John Utendale was the Dean of Woodring College of Education at Western Washington University. He and a team of other educators used to teach at various education seminars. He said one of the things he used to tell educators was that when asking a question in class, don’t call on the first person to raise their hand. Wait. Just wait, until as many people as possible have raised their hands, then call on the last person to raise their hand. The reason? That’s the person who’s put the most thought into the question.
In our society we tend to reward speed, not thoughtfulness or thoroughness. Often, the first one out with an idea is honored more than the one who made the idea better. We try to get to work faster, get out the door faster, be the first finished or the first to get something “done”. But getting to work faster or getting the project completed faster does not make it better. It makes it rushed, maybe sloppy, perhaps even half-hearted, not better. Getting to work faster and out the door faster after work, doesn’t mean your day is better, it just means you aren’t taking the time to enjoy what you have in this moment. It means you aren’t paying attention. When you don’t pay attention, things get missed.
In my business, proofreading, copyediting, writing, etc., speed is also often rewarded, but thoroughness and thoughtfulness are also needed. There’s a reason I don’t call my business “Speedy Proofing” or “24-Hour Copyediting.” I am “Putt Putt Productions” and my motto is “Slow and Steady Wins the Race.” And while I aim to accomplish the projects I’m hired to do in a timely manner, I also endeavor to take the time to pay attention to the details so that I may do a thorough job. Sometimes that means looking over a job and thinking about it a couple of days before sitting down to do it to make sure I take the correct approach. Sometimes that means going back over a section a few times. Sometimes it means tackling it in small chunks. It takes time, but I know I did the best I could on it.
Then, to quote Capt. Mal Reynolds, “I get the job done. I get paid.”
Faster is not always better. It was the turtle who won the race.
I was fortunate to learn this from an educator years ago. He was the father of a friend of mine and I was lucky enough to learn it while hanging out with my friends, but that didn’t make it any less valuable. John Utendale was the Dean of Woodring College of Education at Western Washington University. He and a team of other educators used to teach at various education seminars. He said one of the things he used to tell educators was that when asking a question in class, don’t call on the first person to raise their hand. Wait. Just wait, until as many people as possible have raised their hands, then call on the last person to raise their hand. The reason? That’s the person who’s put the most thought into the question.
In our society we tend to reward speed, not thoughtfulness or thoroughness. Often, the first one out with an idea is honored more than the one who made the idea better. We try to get to work faster, get out the door faster, be the first finished or the first to get something “done”. But getting to work faster or getting the project completed faster does not make it better. It makes it rushed, maybe sloppy, perhaps even half-hearted, not better. Getting to work faster and out the door faster after work, doesn’t mean your day is better, it just means you aren’t taking the time to enjoy what you have in this moment. It means you aren’t paying attention. When you don’t pay attention, things get missed.
In my business, proofreading, copyediting, writing, etc., speed is also often rewarded, but thoroughness and thoughtfulness are also needed. There’s a reason I don’t call my business “Speedy Proofing” or “24-Hour Copyediting.” I am “Putt Putt Productions” and my motto is “Slow and Steady Wins the Race.” And while I aim to accomplish the projects I’m hired to do in a timely manner, I also endeavor to take the time to pay attention to the details so that I may do a thorough job. Sometimes that means looking over a job and thinking about it a couple of days before sitting down to do it to make sure I take the correct approach. Sometimes that means going back over a section a few times. Sometimes it means tackling it in small chunks. It takes time, but I know I did the best I could on it.
Then, to quote Capt. Mal Reynolds, “I get the job done. I get paid.”
Faster is not always better. It was the turtle who won the race.
1 comment:
Absolutely, and hurrah to you for saying it. I rant about this myself on occasion.
Post a Comment