"Dress me slowly; I'm in a hurry."

​This phrase is attributed by the writer Benito Pérez Galdós to Ferdinand VII of Spain, who said it when he saw that one of his servants could not dress the monarch before an important meeting. "We have to go slowly because we are in a hurry" was also the phrase used as a lesson learned by a group of leaders to whom I facilitated a coordination dynamic recently.

The challenge was for the team of 26 people to move a "little ball" from one point to another without dropping it, using only one piece of pipe each. The start was frantic, accelerated, and unplanned; the "little ball" fell quickly. It took a while for some voices in the team to call for calm and propose changes to achieve the goal.

The vision statement that this leadership team has set for itself is very ambitious; the numbers they intend to achieve are aggressive, and the time frame they intend to achieve them is short. However, they have several things going for them: they are young, capable professionals, embrace the cause and are enthusiastic.

However, when we have a significant and ambitious vision, there are also essential challenges that, if not taken care of, can "kill" the most capable and enthusiastic team. The three challenges we addressed were relationships, coordination, and institutional results.

Relationships: The pressure of a big vision can lead us to neglect relationships. In pursuing the goal, we may even run over one another. Sooner or later, this will take its toll and diminish our effectiveness. Instead, let's intentionally strengthen our relationships; they are crucial to achieving our goals.

Coordination: "Slow down; we're in a hurry. Let us remember to plan our movements, communicate with each other, share our ideas, and listen to those of others. Let's pause to try new processes to reach the goal whenever necessary.

Institutional results: Institutional results are more critical than our results. When there is so much to do, we risk looking out for our results or departments without attending to the goal of all. That's why it's worth revisiting the institutional vision and ensuring we are working to achieve it.
 
Remember, slow down; you are in a hurry!

Alfredo Enrique Umaña, MBA
Director of Applied Consulting
[email protected]
+504 9966-2695

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