How to Know if Youre Working Too Fast at Work - The Muse

How to Know if Youre Working Too Fast at Work - The MuseHow to Know if Youre Working Too Fast at Work The ability to work with jackrabbit speed is typically recognized and rewarded in business. Simply put, companies like employees who can cruise through their to-do lists at Mach3 with their hair on fire. Because, after all, time is money.But time is not money if that efficiency is not matched with effectiveness. Racing through assignments only to deliver sloppy results not only costs businesses plenty of moolah every year, it could cost you your stellar reputation, health, or (gasp) job if your great-balls-of-fire pace results in a doozy mistake, or compromises your well-being.We dont want that.So, how do you know if youre moving too fast? And, importantly, how can you slow down without impacting quality or your approval rating at the office? Here are a few ways to spot, and fix, the situation1. Your Typos Are Being NotedI sent an email to a client the otherbei day- my proposed strat egy for his resume project. In the note, I suggested, among other things, that we showcase his specific knowledge of the footware industry. Hi, Im a professional resume writer. Yes, he noticed. Of course he noticed. The man is paying me to spell correctly, for crying out loud. Fortunately, he welches more than good spirited about it. And I promised that Id gotten all of my typos out in that email, so his resume would be pristine.But it doesnt always end that well. When youre sloppy in your correspondence, or in presentations or proposals, or really any written communication you use as means to get your job accomplished, it can (at a minimum) make people think youre lazy or careless.However, if that typo appears somewhere in which the stakes are high- think an advertisement, a widely distributed presentation- it might not end in just a chuckle at all. If youre hearing repeated feedback on one specific tiny little sloppiness issue, its probably time to start focusing on finding a way to avoid it. How to FixNo matter how compelled you feel to move onto the next assignment, shut your laptop for the night, or impress the person on the receiving end with your lightning-fast turnaround time, double and triple check everything you distribute. Seriously. Unless its a 152-page presentation deck, it will probably only take you an extra few minutes- minutes you can easily recoup by staying off Facebook after lunch, or steering clear of the co-worker who always wants to chat endlessly. 2. You Miss an Important Meeting or DeadlineAnother billboard-esque sign that youre moving too quickly is when you flat-out miss an important meeting or deadline, because you were whipping along so quickly that you either failed to enter it into your calendar, or simply overlooked it.You really only get so many mulligans in situations like this, especially if that meeting or deadline is a crucial one. Not to mention, you just end up feeling like a giant doof, and thats just no good for your self-esteem.Happen to you any time recently?How to FixFigure out what specific thing or things are out of whack here. Do you lack a viable planning system? Do you have unconnected calendars, meaning if you record a meeting in one place, you cant see it in another? Or, are you just so fried from deliverable overload that youre starting to slip on them? Pinpoint first, and then strive to come up with tangible solutions or safeguards so that, no matter how rapid your pace, you dont miss the stuff that truly matters.3. You Make an Error That Costs the Company MoneyYeah, this ones often a doozy. Not going to lie. And its worse if costs the company money equals large sums of money. Lets assume were talking middle of the road (or less) cash here. But even when its nominal, guess what? Companies dont like it when their employees make costly errors, especially if theyre avoidable (and especially if there have been conversations prior about being more careful). If, and when this happens, you need to own up and mobilize, swiftly.How to FixFirst, the fix probably depends on how much money your speed has just cost the company. It its an enormous amount, you may be kindly asked to exit stage left. But, assuming its not nearly that extreme, the solution involves taking responsibility (immediately) for the error and then- when possible- proposing how you will correct (or reduce the impact of) the error. Next, you follow through. Its also very important that you digest thoroughly how this happened, and create safeguards as you move forward, so that it never happens again.4. You End Up in the Doctors OfficeIn its most chronic from, moving too quickly- whether self-imposed or boss-driven- can cost you your health. A dear friend of mine had a dream job, or so she thought. Problem was, her supervisor was this incredibly intense, tough-as-nails-on-everyone-in-her-path cookie who hammered her direct reports to do more, more, more, more every single week. Part of the challenge here w as that the woman (so it seems) was wired quite like a robot, and expected all of her team members to operate at this same, other-worldly pace.My friend made it a little over a year, and then made her way to a doctor, when the anxiety and stress became unbearable, and began interfering with her sanity and family life.Her blood pressure was at such an alarming level that the doctor, as she spoke of what was happening at work, told her she needed to find a new job, immediately. How to FixIf your required pace is giving you panic attacks, high blood pressure, prompting you to abuse alcohol or drugs, or getting in the way of your day-to-day well-being, its time to sit down with your manager and suggest a new pace. If thats not possible, its probably time to find a job (or career) with a sane pace. No positions worth sacrificing your health or life over. Zero.Speed is lovely, and so often valued (immensely) in the workplace. But effectiveness is paramount. If you master the combo, youre going places. If you dont? Youre heading right on over to Stress City.And no one wants to hang out in Stress City. No one.