I got fooled. I tought there was no limit to efficiency. I was wrong. And it’s not simply the inability to do faster or more things at once. You can process things faster, to some extent. You can do more, but only to a certain degree. There is a price in the long run and that is something we tend to ignore. When dealing with people, pushing the effectiveness bar too far and overloading the employee might influence the atmosphere at work, result in burn-out, and generally — decrease job satisfaction.
Every knowledge work needs introspection — the time & space to…
- Incorporate new knowledge
- Build on latest experiences
- Link between different domains
- Gain strength to improve further
Routine helps greatly. It creates space. But most important is to simply allow time. To limit work in progress. To allow play.
Many words have been written & said about the “myth of 100% effectiveness.” I have learnt my own share and cannot stress how destructive this kind of belief is. While adding to the burden helps improving one’s tools and processes to some extent, it destroys too much to be justified in the long run.
Very true. Some ideas needs time to mature. Like a wine (or beer 🙂 whatever you prefer 😉 ). So definitely is good to leave yourself or in your project free space.
Actually this metaphor works also for graphics design I work in – you need white space.
Thank you for your comment, Peter. I appreciate it.
I like the way you put it – it certainly is about maturing, about having the privilege or allowing oneself to capitalize on whatever has been experienced or learned till that moment.
And this applies to relations as well.
Putting it in a slightly different manner – the not-doing part completes whatever doing we make the daily bread of our life. Indeed, it’s like an artist’s white space (another great metaphor, thanks).
Ultimately, it’s about balance, don’t you think?
Thanks again, Peter. Enjoy!