Why does most work, in which you need to interact with other people, go so slowly?
Of the many reasons, one of them is this: each interaction or each question creates a delay.
Why does most work, in which you need to interact with other people, go so slowly?
Of the many reasons, one of them is this: each interaction or each question creates a delay.
An easy and common example is, “I want to do X, but I need to ask everyone question Y and wait for a response.” That “wait for a response” creates a delay.
Now magnify that. As you do complex work, you’ll have lots of questions, which means more and more delays.
One common solution is to try to do as much as you can, in a bubble, without the others. I’ll admit it: that’s what I do, non-stop, all the time! But that’s not enough. Right now, I’m organizing a webinar between two companies and just the sheer number of people, speakers, organization needed creates endless opportunities for more delays.
There is a small technique I use daily to avoid this trap.
Whenever I ask a question, I always state my default answer/assumption, and I make clear that “unless I hear otherwise” I will assume the default is correct.
Here’s what’s great about this response:
- It assumes that the action won’t slow down.
- It doesn’t give them the opportunity to slow down or stop the action; they have to respond quickly, or else you’ll make your default assumption happen.
- It signals to them that you want the action to continue, which looks great on you.
- Perhaps most importantly, it also messages that you are doing the hard thinking yourself. You face a complex situation, it’s lazy to just ask your boss or the smart person next door. By suggesting the default recommendation you’ve come to, you show them that you aren’t being lazy, but you invested the thought and time in coming up with an answer.
- It allows for monosyllabic responses, like “yes” or “no” which makes responding much easier, than having to write up an analysis themselves. Perhaps because you already did the analysis!
A pro-version of this is to include an exploding deadline, “If you don’t let me know what you want to do by tomorrow night, I’ll assume that XYZ is the way to go, and I’ll move ahead!” This can be taken the wrong way, so use with care!
While this is one of the more minor suggestions in this series, it is one of the more powerful ones, for both its practical value—it really does speed up interactions—and its symbolic value. It powerfully shows you’re both doing the thinking and dedicating yourself to always pushing the ball forward.
