Recently. I travelled up to Bayfield, WI to go dogsledding at Wolfsong Adventures. It’s an activity that you might want to consider adding to your bucketlist. Think of it. Cold air. Beautiful northshore scenery. Dogs that love to work for you and with you to their hearts delight. Magic! However, the inspiration for this post did not come while dogsledding, but rather following it. My friend happened to take me past the Wild Rice Restaurant in Bayfield, known for their fine cuisine and elegant dining. And along the road I came across this sign.
I thought this sign was unique and I sent a copy to Dan Pink, which is posted under the title Emotionallly intelligent signage in Green Bay Packer country. However as I thought about it more, I pondered the wisdom of this signage inside many organizations.
Most companies are designed to go fast, just like selecting a team of dogs for dogsledding. It is speed, endurance and maybe a bit of luck that wins the race. But the question is, “When is 23 M.P.H. Plenty? I believe this is a relevant question for most business leaders to ask. Here are a few of the reasons why this might be relevant.
Safety: Speed limits are put in place to ensure the safety of those traveling the road. When speed limits are exceeded, the potential for harm increases exponentially, which incidentally can also occur inside organizations. Remember speed limits minimize risk and at times, slowing down is required.
Observation: At times one needs to slow down to smell the roses, i.e. to observe the landscape. Keen observation can be linked to innovation and numerous activities essential to designing the lean organization. There is no doubt that as speed increases, our ability to observe is diminished.
Focus: As speed increases, one’s focus must increase accordingly. At times this is the right answer, at other times, it can spell disaster. For instance, Management By Walking Around doesn’t occur by going 100 M.P.H., but rather MBWA at 23M.P.H. is plenty.
Creativity: Creativity can occur anywhere and at any speed. However I can bet that when an idea is spawned, the nurturing and developmental part of the idea will force you to slow down. This is why companies like 3M and Google grant play time into their employees work schedule. Yes, too much speed can kill a good idea.
What other aspects of 23 mph is plenty resonate with you?
