Dan Marino’s quickness as an NFL quarterback was described by one of his teammates in the following words: “The amount of time where he sees a target and then his mind tells him to throw is a short span…he sees it, it’s gone. There’s no thinking.”
Being a leader of client-focused initiatives and activities requires a high energy level. Getting things done quickly may not be a daily requirement for effectiveness in serving your clients, but to anticipate client needs and stay ahead of issues takes a quick work pace. From my experience, those professionals who move projects down the field best are those who are actively engaged and taking action.
If you are the type of person who prefers a lot of time to think about the plan of action before you respond to requests, you might have a low work pace. You may not make many mistakes, but you’re at risk of missing opportunities.
Want to pick up the pace and be quicker on your feet? Do what Marino did; learn new skills. He started jumping rope. Here are a couple of ropes for you to jump:
1. Trust yourself, your knowledge and experience, to act first and think later. There will be time for analyzing your actions later and you can make adjustments.
2. Set ambitious and urgent timelines to decisions and projects; and, hold yourself accountable.
3. Listen to your gut and act on your clients behalf. NOW!