Slow down to speed up
Just about every leader I’ve spoken to in the last few weeks is exhausted by the amount of change they’re dealing with and how quickly they’re having to implement it.
Some changes are being rammed through by senior decision-makers, while others are dictated by external circumstances so people feel out of control.
In his excellent book The Speed of Trust, Stephen M.R. Covey says trust greases organisations’ wheels, reducing friction and accelerating results.
Makes sense, doesn’t it?
When trust and credibility are high, people are more willing to get on board with decisions, move quickly and work through problems together.
When those elements are low, everything slows down. There’s resistance, suspicion and quiet undermining of decisions.
It can be tempting for leaders to respond by pushing harder - with more meetings, stronger explanations and greater pressure.
But sometimes what’s required is stepping back and reading the room.
It might feel like it’s taking longer, but focusing first on building a solid level of trust might be the very thing that gets your change over the line, without feeling like you’re pushing a dead weight.
If you want decisions to move more quickly, slow down to speed up by building trust and credibility first.
That slower burn of trust-building also applies to fielding complaints. When you’re facing down an angry person, an off-the-cuff response can escalate an already tense situation.
Turning complainers into loyal, raving fans is the subject of my latest video on YouTube. It’s well worth a look: https://youtu.be/WbTU-c5LrM8
