My favorite running shorts talk smack.
If I pass you while running, this is what you’ll see:
They’re comfy and funny as hell, especially for me when I charge past your slower-than-me behind.
SEE YA!
~maniacal runner’s laugh~
When I wear these shorts, I usually do two things.
#1: Laugh at their ridiculousness.
#2: Think about speed in terms of life, or in terms of building a future doing the things I love (and getting paid to do them).
Is speed better?
Lots of people have written about how, YES, speed is better.
Entrepreneur discusses FAST-FAST-FAST companies like Amazon Prime, UberEats and Jimmy Johns that make their money off of speed.
You see those company’s names and immediately know that speed is their thang. And you love them for it, right?
And as more companies lean towards speed, because their competitors do, we come to expect it.
The need for speed is real, yo.
But what about your company – what about what you’re building?
Is speed what it’s all about?
I’m a turtle in a world of rabbits.
I take time to make decisions.
I mull options.
I sleep on it.
Yet – there is an element of speed in what I do (writers and deadlines go together like tiny white donuts and pinky fingers).
There are definite advantages of speed, of swift adaptability on your particular playground, full of others vying for the swings.
Doing things faster than your competitors feels good – Smuggy McSmuggerson good!
Winning the race! Whipping past your opponents! Reinventing the speed of light!
Yet – there’s that word again.
What if speed isn’t what it’s all about, but just looks like it?
What if being super adaptable, being nimble and open-minded to change, being able to quickly maneuver – is the real secret sauce to success?
What if, indeed.
Ever heard of Colonel John Boyd? My bet is you haven’t and that’s okay.
From his book: He developed a theory of military strategy that has been adopted throughout the world and even applied to business models for maximizing efficiency.
(~affiliate linkage – You can order Colonel Boyd’s book HERE~)
Boyd was an American hero, one you most likely have never heard of, but who touched many aspects of our lives, including business.
He developed a system useful for turtles, like me, to become faster, but not just for the sake of speed.
It’s called the OODA Loop.
The idea was simply this: the key to victory (in military situations, also adapted for business) is in creating situations where you make appropriate and FASTER decisions than your competition, using OODA.
~ Observation: the collection of data by means of the senses
~ Orientation: the analysis and synthesis of data to form one’s current mental perspective
~ Decision: the determination of a course of action based on one’s current mental perspective
~ Action: the physical playing-out of decisions
Boyd believed that speed wasn’t the end all; he believed in maximizing efficiency that enabled speed, thereby trumping opponents.
He would maximize efficiency, which translated into speed, by starting with the people of an organization first, then ideas, then technology.
His mantra: “People, ideas, hardware — in that order.”
So, is speed isn’t what it’s all about?
Yes and no.
If you’re talking about listening to and understanding your base – yes.
If you’re talking about being adaptable in your market to meet and exceed competitors – yes.
If you’re talking about acting quickly in regards to data – yes.
If you’re talking about being clear with your direction and objectives in order to grow – yes.
If you’re talking about shedding expectations and previous decisions that no longer work – oh, hell, yes.
If you’re talking about speed for the sake of speed – no.
Speed matters, even to turtles like me.
Speed matters to YOU.
Just not in the way most think or act on in our lickety-split world.
Total game-changer, right?
If you are breathing a sigh of relief, and wishing you could high-five Colonel Boyd, please consider sharing this post.
Interested in building your OWN WordPress site? CLICK HERE
Leave a Reply