Cool Down (23 page)

 

FEAR GRIPS THE BODY.
IT PARALYZES THE SOUL
AND PULLS BLINDNESS IN
.

 

One of the most significant human talents to have been drowned out by the noise of high-speed culture is that of being able to confront fear. Fear, as we all know, is an emotional reaction, based on a sense of imminent danger to the self. Because of its emotional nature, our primary reactions to fear are reflexive and not necessarily logical.

For those interested in adopting
cool
methods, fear stands as a major obstacle, since implementation means initiating change. Change represents an unknown element, and unknown elements spark fear. None of this is particularly welcome to the human body and mind, of course, and the result is resistance. When all of this occurs within the swirling ocean of external stimuli it becomes a lot easier, on the whole, to bypass the whole issue and stick with the status quo and stay close to the grindstone, secure in the harness.

I have worked with thousands of people who have looked with awe at the new possibilities that
cooling down
offers, even down to something as simple as daring to run a meeting more effectively. For a brief moment, their eyes sparkle with promise until, quickly, the spark of innovation is extinguished by fear, and their eyes and expression regain their grim air of conviction.

The number one reservation, of course, is the fear that rocking the boat will result in you falling overboard: that any suggestions of improvement, especially that include the word
slow
will end up a career-limiting move. How could anyone expect to question the way work is done around here? How can you question the boss about anything? How can you dare to introduce the word
slow
into any work-related discussion without risking repercussions? In virtually all organizations the spoken or unspoken expectation is for quick turnaround, high productivity, and the willingness to work in a multitasking environment. The mantra is “just get it done.” That being the case, why would anyone want to stick her neck out to introduce the four-letter word
slow
? After all, there's always someone else who could take the work, someone else ready to do your job.

Fear is something to be faced and conquered. It must never be allowed to rule, although it tries very hard to do just that. In spreading its contagious message, fear relies on speed as its co-conspirator. Speed can make people react too quickly and can make them do the wrong things. Speed makes people procrastinate by offering all sorts of distractions and thought-occupiers that both magnify the fear and encourage avoidance of the problem.

The problem with fear is that it exists primarily in the mind. It sloshes around in the short-term “working” memory, amorphous yet painfully present. To handle fear, it is necessary to remove it from its lair and expose it to the open air—to get it on paper.

Nothing quells fear and spurs creative thought better than getting thoughts—even negative ones—down on paper. Some people like to write free-form—just paragraph after paragraph of flow-of-consciousness text. Others use bullet points to separate problems from solutions. Others set their fears out in a columnar format like the one below:

As I mention in a couple of places in this book, addressing fear in this manner works because revisiting your own ideas by rereading them or even hearing them is an exercise in cognitive reprogramming; it helps put them into clearer perspective by using the logical side of the brain rather than leaving them in the constant ethereal swirl typical of the emotional side.

This, then, is another benefit of
slow
. People who take the time to write out their thoughts recognize a number of benefits:

If the fear of losing your job is holding you back, I would ask you to think about the principles embodied in a well-known book, the
Art of War
by Sun Tzu. The friction between you and any other person in your life is akin to battle, even if on a small scale or even if no acrimony is remotely evident. Friction is a part of life and as such the principles taught by a master of “applied friction,” such as Sun Tzu, are worth considering. The
Art of War
is not a book about rushing into conflict headlong and without due preparation. It's about victory through the principles of
slow
. For example, the battle in this case is between you and your manager. The prize being fought over is your job. The energy involved is fear. Sun Tzu would state that as with all battles, victory goes to the person who can recognize his enemy's strengths and weaknesses as well as his own, and who can strategize a means of attack or counterattack. In terms of the manager-employee relationship, the weapons of this battle are communication and influence rather than spears or muskets. Specifically:

Have you allowed the time for these proactive maneuvers, or are you too busy working too fast on today's immediacies?

The second major fear to be faced when thinking about working more coolly has to do with the customer or client. How on earth can anyone dare to go slow when the client is waiting?

Isn't prompt service, after all, the
lingua franca
of successful business? Isn't that what defines customer service?

Many will agree that speed is good, but speed can only be good when it's paired with quality. Even for those who serve fast food at a drive-through window, customer satisfaction will be attained only if the order being speedily delivered is the right one.

As we have seen, customers base their buying relationships on trust, not just price or speed. Yet many professionals in many industries, caught up in their own vortex of self-imposed hastiness, sometimes forget what it's like to stand in a customer's shoes.

In all four of the situations above, I believe it necessary for any working person to take the time to see the relationship through the customer's eyes. As we have already seen, the needs of most customers can be dealt with by giving them an alternate time at which calls will be returned, either within the hour, within the half-day, or by the end of business today. It is possible to satisfy callers, first by way of a substantive outbound greeting that informs them as to when they can expect a response and next by following up on that promise at the appointed time.

Not convinced? Do you still think that being
cool
in this fashion—that is to say, waiting until you're finished one important task before taking calls from your clients—might result in losing customers? Then write it out. Take a moment to answer the following questions: