Nov 12, 2014

There are three areas that I believe substantiate the saying “more haste, less speed” and they are critical to the effective management of time in our everyday working lives. Firstly, when we consider how we manage our time, it seems a small price to pay, to allocate a mere 15 minutes of every morning/evening to decide on the priorities of the day. These 15 minutes will help to clarify what can be done, the level of urgency and priority, what amount of time needs to be set aside to complete the task, and when to schedule it. This allows some measure of control over activities which need to be undertaken, rather than the tasks controlling us. Secondly, when it comes to business writing of any description, it makes more sense to plan what you wish to communicate before you write, than to spend unproductive time making endless changes afterwards. Planning gives you, the writer, focus, which will help you consider what needs to be included, who you’re writing for, what it’s about and  your overall purpose. So “less haste” with planning is likely to “speed” up the writing and editing part of the task, not to mention that it shows that you have considered your writing from the point of view of your reader, rather than just gushing out information and following the writing wherever it leads. Finally, having considered both time management and business writing, I find that planning what I want to say ahead of meetings, negotiations, phone calls, or resolving issues, is usually time well spent.  Planning incorporates reflecting on what the other person/party might raise with us, so having an idea of how to respond in the situation is both helpful and time saving. Again, it keeps me focused on the topic, it ensures that I cover everything that I need to, and helps me anticipate possible issues. This is why I believe that:

More haste is less speed.