Core Speed Concepts

Five important best practice"speed" concepts include:

  1. Default to action

  2. Do it now

  3. Unldir

  4. Roughly right

  5. Freedom level 1


Default-to-action... Versus default to analysis and delay.

Do it now... Don't wait, don't meet, don't discuss... just do it. The sooner you act, the sooner you can correct, and the more cycles of learning you get to get it right.

Unldir... "Unless otherwise directed I intent on doing..." Start emails with "Unldir...." Then act. See #1-2 above.

It is better to be roughly right, than exactly wrong... The foundation of fast-time-to-market thinking.

Freedom Scale... Direct reports operate at Freedom Level 1. They should push this down to their subordinates. Get the max leverage out of your people when they are operating at level 3 and above (1-2 is best). Download Freedom Scale description.

These concepts are based on increasing the cycles of learning. More learning cycles in a shorter period of time = more rapid acquisition of knowledge = faster results. The other principle of fast cultures is the idea that you have to "fail fast" in order to learn faster.