The best things in life (and at work) take time
Bread dates back to the Neolithic era. Sliced bread hasn’t even celebrated its 100th anniversary yet. It took man thousands of years to finally invent the greatest thing since…ever. Whether we like it or not, the things we want to happen - no matter how revolutionary, inspiring or helpful - don’t always happen on our schedule.
It’s incredible to think of how much pressure corporate leaders put on each other to show progress when working on massive projects that can take years to complete. We’ll spend hours and hours preparing presentations and other stories all attempting to demonstrate progress, thereby slowing down our progress on the stuff that matters. We’ll try to target “quick wins” so we can keep up the support.
What if we remained patient and asked for fewer status updates? Ah, but that requires trust. What if we didn’t ask to be “looped in” to every decision they made? Ah, but that requires believing in them. Ah, but what if they take longer than we want? The problem is if you really care about the problem they’re solving, it will always take them longer than you want.
Our deadlines are often arbitrary targets meant to “inspire” people to act fast(er). While I’m all for moving fast, make sure you pause from time to time to reflect on that project you’re supporting. They might be moving as fast as they can. Rather than giving you yet another report on their progress, you may need to just trust them, believe in them, and recognize that the best things in life take time.