The Age of Speed

On my way to Dallas the other day, I read The Age of Speed: Learning to Thrive in a More-Faster-Now World by Vince Poscente. Poscente is a former speed-skiing Olympian with an interesting perspective of speed in today’s organizations. Here are some of the highlights from my reading:

• "With the boom in technology enabling us to achieve speed in almost every imaginable way, speed is no longer a luxury–it’s an expectation. And the more we get, the more we seem to want."
• "Because we have finite lives and infinite imaginations, our demand for speed goes up in relation to what we have the potential to achieve."
• "More options lead to more stress–whether we choose to pursue them or not. When we have a lot of options and many decisions to make, our destinies become less clear."
• "Frequently, when we reduce the time it takes to do something insignificant, we end up using the saved time on yet another insignificant activity."
• "Part of Google’s new hiring policy is to seek out overqualified people considered likely to be promoted multiple times."
• "Some kinds of clutter actually make you feel you’re going faster, even as they slow you down."
• "By juggling too many tasks or allowing too many distractions, you condition your brain to stay overstimulated, weakening your ability to concentrate."
• "Some companies designate time each week, each month, or each quarter for work only: no meetings, no expectations for immediate response, no pop-ins."
• "Misalignment dissipates the energy of passion, but when people and organizations are aligned with an authentic purpose, they accomplish everything faster."
• "Simplicity is essential to–the foundation for–becoming aligned. It is nearly impossible to be complex and also be aligned and fast."