Productivity and results are the language spoken in the world of corporate work and businesses. Because of the high level of competition that exists, and the increasing demand they face, firms constantly find ways to outbeat one another, and to do this in a short span of time. As such, speed is everything in the corporate world. And so, everything moves at a fast pace. Employers set extreme goals and targets for their employees to maintain productivity and timeliness. Many organizations see speed as the only way to maximize productivity. But there is an alternative — slow-work movement. Many companies are beginning to embrace the slow-work movement practices. While supporters of the fast-paced work environment argue that speed enhances productivity by teaching time management, innovation, and developing the can do spirit in individuals, the slow-work movement puts forward a more effective system of achieving these goals.
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To some people, organizations have taken this obsession with speed a little too far; thus, reaching a point of absurdity. Their objections to the fast-paced workplace are not unfounded. The fast-paced workplace is no environment for the faint hearted. Organizations make very high demands of their employees, and not only that, they also expect their employees to meet their objectives while providing satisfactory services to clients. Not so many are built to withstand this form of pressure.
The amount of work employees have to do leaves them with little time to attend to other aspects of their lives. Many employees end up having to make a choice between career and personal lives. Anyone who has been in this situation will understand the difficulty of such a situation. And it doesn’t get any better. The demands keep coming and the responsibilities continue to increase. Today, the average worker is busier than ever.
The culture whereby people are expected to maximize every minute at work leaves employees in a perpetual state of stress and unstable mental health. According to a WHO report, $1 trillion worth of productivity is lost globally due to poor mental health of employees. It’s reasons like this, and more, that reinforces the evaluation of critics of the fast-paced workplace environment. Contrary to popularly held beliefs, these critics are of the opinion that speed doesn’t improve productivity, instead it kills productivity.
Why should organizations embrace the slow-work movement? One major advantage of the practices of the slow-work movement is that it brings more people into the system. Unlike the fast paced work environment where only a few can thrive, the slow work system can accommodate more people. Eventually, the work of those select few who thrive in the speed-demanding environment can be done more effectively. And there will be less piles of work left undone.
Similarly, because employees work under less pressure than before, they have more time to fulfil tasks. That little extra time they get can be put to reasoning and coming up with new and efficient methods of doing things. Also, organizations have less stressed-out employees in top notch mental health states who have more time to develop their skills. All of this put together will work ever so favorably in growing and developing an organization.
References:
- At work, the tortoise is the ultimate winner | Neelanjana Mondal | December 10, 2020
- This is how to make slow work movement work for you | Paul Gentile | September 18, 2019
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