Skip Intro…

Amongst the many wonders that make up the festive period, I have never forgotten the excitement of the launch of the Christmas edition of the Radio Times. It was almost the law in my family that we sat down, pen in hand, and circled the Christmas specials and the film premiere not yet seen on the small screen. We would read it once, noting what was on, and then we’d read it again, just in case we’d missed something. Once that was done, the all- important circling would continue, and the decisions made, notwithstanding the odd disagreement (does the Only Fools and Horses Christmas special trump Bond?). After that, we could only wait, with an increasing sense of excited anticipation.

Life is a little different now as the immediacy of today’s world has taken a firm hold. I was watching a box set recently on a well-known streaming platform, and I was able to plough through a fair few episodes very easily. The birth of the “skip intro” option is but only one of a number of ways which actively encourages speed. Time is precious, and we need things now. If I miss some important information, so be it. The insatiable hunger for getting there as quickly as possible is weirdly traded for spending hours watching series after series.  It’s claimed that the 'Skip Intro' button on a certain, popular streaming platform is pressed about 36 million times a day, saving people 195 years in cumulative time everyday. 

So, if that’s the approach at home, does that mean we do the same thing at work?

Sometimes, it may well be that something happens at work that demands a “skip intro” - don’t wait, just do it - type moment, but even in those circumstances, it may well pay to take a little time. “Skip intro” when a certain something hits the fan may feel like the thing to do and can be seen as an important leadership trait in making that critical decision, but the difference between “don’t just stand there, do something” and “don’t just do something, stand there” has equal validity. As a leader, and in those times of need, you are looked upon to make the call with confidence through leveraging all that experience you have gained, and from feeding from that all important instinct you have come to recognise.

However, making a decision without taking time to understand it and therefore inform what direction you take could be a mistake. Whilst not confusing establishing the facts with procrastination and potential delay, it is possible to assess the situation, quickly, and then take the action that may well carry with it an increased chance of it being a better decision. Making a connection with your team to review the issue may only be a 10-minute call, but my guess is that you will be able to use that time to be clear about the issue, have a quick debate, listen, decide and then deliver the solution. You will be safe in the knowledge that the team is informed, on board and often the very people that bring the solution to the table and also to life.

Not choosing “skip intro” and pressing the pause button might well be the right way to go.