The Power of Being a Slowpoke in a Fast-Paced Work Environment
Slow but steady wins the race (and produces better work)
It became clear to me that I’m a “slow” worker several years ago when I was doing some graphic design for a communications company. My co-worker, who held the same role, would pump out three to four sample designs in one sitting. I could only finish one or two decent samples a day. I tortured myself by playing the comparison game, wondering how I could speed up to match the pace of my colleague.
But here’s the thing — along with my slowness has always come a careful attention to detail. My work isn’t sloppy or mediocre. I thoroughly check and double-check the details of each assignment I take on to make sure everything’s right. While this method increases my accuracy and precision, it sometimes clashes with the expectations of work environments that are “fast-paced,” the go-to buzzword in the job market. Slower workers can be perceived as lazy or incompetent, and might face internal (and external) pressure to “keep up” with their colleagues.
On one hand, we all know there are times at work when quick action is required. Maybe your company is on the receiving end of some bad press and every team needs to be on hand to address the issue. Or a natural disaster or other emergency scenario could put…
