Taking action is considered a positive progression toward result realization. When posed with a problem, many of us are eager to take action and eliminate the problem. On the flip side, quick actions could lead us astray. Consider these 3 myths of quick actions.
- A fast solution reflects efficiency
You could earn a pat on the back when an urgent problem is resolved. The customer is happy. Your team gloats over its efficiency in finding a solution. Look out for the camouflage of a patched solution. For instance, the account reps have problems with completing the compliance forms. Deficiencies expose the company to non-compliance. To overcome the problem, the compliance department chose to add a senior resource to review every form. The solution is easy to implement but it doesn’t help the account reps. Mistakes continue.
- Action is good for momentum
A quick response is needed in situations where public safety or lives are at risk. When dealing with complex issues, it would be counter-productive to initiate actions without thinking through the applicability and effectiveness of the action. For instance, replacing the legacy applications for an enterprise requires a good understanding of the company’s future needs. It would backfire if the company chose to implement and migrate quickly to the new solution just to keep the momentum on change implementation. There would be marginal gains because the company would not be able to fully leverage the investment.
- Multi-tasking is productive
When time is tight, do things in parallel. Multi-tasking has been over-rated when it comes to the quality of results. The fast pace of business places heavy demands on time. Employees are committed to work on special projects while managing the regular workload. There is an expectation of fluid juggling of work, or multi-tasking. Multi-tasking reduces productivity and quality of work. For instance, employees are expected to complete a certain number of webinar training courses in a year. Many of them listen to the webinars while they work through minor tasks. They end up missing key elements of the content and fail the quiz at the end of the course. Revisiting segments of the webinar to pick up the missed content often consumes more time.
Quick actions could produce undesirable consequences. Pay attention to the work habits and mindset on responses, you might spot a trend that is counter-productive.
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