Yesterday I paid particular attention to the cover of the book written by Charles Duhigg (I don’t mean its contents). Especially for the Polish cover, where it is written – “Smarter, Faster, Better”. The words – faster and better – written on a yellow background in red font particularly resonated with me. I began to wonder to what extent doing, or even making decisions, in a fast way would be equivalent to somehow being more advantageous than doing the same thing slowly. Why do we define it that way? What about people who act differently? If they work slowly, does that mean they are not acting wisely?
By nature or rather style of thinking, I am a researcher. The FRIS® survey confirmed this dominant perspective in me. I love diving and digging deeply into all sorts of data because it gives me great joy and a sense of understanding of the world around me. When I have to lean on an issue or make a decision, I gather a lot of information because only their analysis gives me a sense of how to work out the most optimal solution.
Experience makes me try to make sure that the process of analysis takes little time and does not block other activities, but it sometimes happens that the opposite is true. A pathological example from my personal life would be the fact that I started thinking about how to provide an alternative energy source for my apartment. It started with an innocent look at a power station (such a large power bank) and ended with a PhD on building a wind generator on my balcony.
Getting into the nitty-gritty of the topics I take on is a great pleasure for me, and because of this, it seems I could do it indefinitely. I can calmly return to a decision once made and reconsider it with other cases in mind. In business, this can have many advantages, but unfortunately, also many disadvantages. When making a business decision (but also a private one), it is essential to distinguish between attention to detail and unnecessary minutiae and complicating life for myself or others. However, I would be uncomfortable if I couldn’t analyze the topics I deal with.
I believe that our development and the way we do things depend on the path we want to take. Faster is not going to be better for everyone. Some of us will be like a sports car that gets to its destination quickly. Others will be like an all-terrain vehicle that will get where others can; still, others may be a bulletproof limousine that will take you to your destination even in the most adverse conditions.
It is important to understand ourselves and find our strengths and weaknesses. Only when we act and make decisions in harmony with ourselves and follow our values compass can we be sure that our chosen direction is the right one.
