Most tasks in this world could be sped up with improved processes, but in many cases that’s not what’s best. I recently wrote about un-automating parts of my note-taking in order to better understand what I have in there, and there are other areas like that to consider.
For me, a big one is the website development process that we have at GreenMellen. It takes around six months for a typical site, and speeding it up is counter-productive. If someone needs a site done more quickly, we refer them out to local friends that have a faster approach. For us, to build a site the way we believe they should be built, takes time.
This came to mind while reading Arthur Blank’s book “Good Company“, which included this anecdote about his mother:
“I remember one time when my mother was sick and required a blood transfusion, a painful process that took several hours. I asked the doctor, “Why does it take so long? Can’t you speed it up?” He replied “If I did it any quicker it would kill her.”
I’m all about productivity, processes, and automation to help streamline things, but be aware of places where speeding things up could lead to poor results.
