Slow Down or Go Around

There is a maneuver in aviation called the "go around," used when something is amiss on approach to landing. A myriad of situations can cause a go around.  Perhaps the pilot sees an object (inanimate or living) on the runway, has misjudged wind correction, or simply has not sufficiently slowed the aircraft. The go around is generally undesirable, since it results in excess fuel consumption, an uncomfortable situation for passengers and a delay in arrival at the destination. Go arounds are necessary in some cases, but a pilot induced go around due to excess speed is always best avoided.

I vividly recall just such a situation many years ago, while on approach to Runway 22 at Boston's Logan Airport. It was a warm summer weekend day; the air traffic was heavy. As a result, the busy but patient controller was doing his best to ensure adequate spacing among a widely varied mix of aircraft.  At least twice, he asked me to reduce the speed of my King Air, and I of course compiled, but apparently not to the degree needed. Finally, the gentle controller uttered words I recall to this day:  "King Air 9MS; you gonna slow down or you gonna go around..."

Moving too fast for one's team is a common issue that many leaders encounter.  The eager leader generates idea after idea, or enthusiastically sets aggressive and potentially unrealistic project deadlines. Dutiful team members, loyal to the boss and striving for excellence, work diligently to keep up, but eventually limits are reached.  At best, the team calls a time out and convinces the boss to regroup, but at the extreme, this kind of overload can result in lost productivity due to illness or undesired turnover. These unhappy outcomes are the leadership world's version of the aviation go around.

Some situations can lead to a go-around

Here are three ways that leaders can ensure that they slow down before needing to go around:

1. Regularly check in with the team.  Ask for and listen to the team's view of the project pace and competing priorities. Leaders may misjudge the full impact of a particular project or strategy. Those who are immersed in its creation and/or execution can provide valuable reality checks.
2. Reprioritize. Multiple projects are a necessary part of business in the 21st century, but attempting to execute too many strategies at once will result in a splintered focus and may jeopardize the success of each one. If necessary, slow down, refocus and reprioritize.
3. Take time to reflect and celebrate, then move on.  Too often in business, we move from one highly work-intensive project to the next, without pausing to reflect on the success, learn from what's been created and celebrate the accomplishment. Taking time to look back on all that's been done and enjoy the achievement results in valuable recognition for the team and injects a brief but very effective pause into the frenetic pace of business.

Followers of this blog will note that a very long time has elapsed between the prior post and this one. A number of personal and work events occurred at once, on top of an already jam-packed schedule. Unable to slow down, I had no choice but to go around and pause my writing for several months. Indeed, the controller's words from so many years ago still linger in the back of my mind. "You gonna slow down, or you gonna go around..."  Full throttle, gear up ....and bring the plane around a bit slower the next time.

Recommended readings related to this post include Positive Flying: Tested Numbers and How to Fly Them for Precision Performance, by Richard L. Taylor and William Guinther and The Power of Pause: How to be More Effective in a Demanding, 24/7 World, by Nance Guilmartin. Both books emphasize the importance of pace and speed control to achieve a successful outcome - one in aviation and the other in leadership or everyday life situations.