Lazy minds and their snail's pace

Written/Submitted by John Lwong
Category: English Articles
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By Njoki Muhoho

There must be a special school somewhere in Kenya where a section of the population is being drilled into indolent thinking pace and snail pace mobility. Kamau and Karen are young graduates. They believe they are hardworking and ambitious. They count themselves lucky as they have good jobs in good organisations, with many opportunities for career growth.

However, it seems, only a miracle will help communicate to these two that they are going nowhere. Their pace is slow. Here is a guide to identifying your slug moments in the workplace.Slow walkers. I have a theory, if you are a slow walker, then, you are being faithful and loyal to your slow moving brain. If your age is anything between 18 and 32 and your managers who are in their 40s have to wait for you as you head to a client’s meeting, then something is very very wrong.The waiting game. Don’t disturb this employee, he is busy waiting. While not everything will happen at our desired speeds and timing, we can expedite the process by finding out what we should be doing while we wait. Is there another way of achieving same results? Some of our workmates are perpetually busy, waiting.Talking big and living small. There is a crop of today’s youthful employees who will spend long hours talking big about their achievements. They engage colleagues and friends on talk about their work and business manoeuvres and tactics. However, on checking on the work results of this bragger, you find, not a guru but a non-performer who should be taken back to school. Move faster. If you exercise your body, the mind gets the right energy and positiveness. If you move like a slug, why do you expect your mind to run like Kipchoge Keino? Start by walking fast. You send the right messages to your system.Be proactive. We have had it many times, yet many do not do it. Hence, here are hits on how to be proactive. Embrace the attitude that ‘it can happen’, while others frustrate you by not delivering, set a deadline by when you should get results, then have a list of five different ways on how to get the desired results.Networks. Build a network of people who have the skills and competencies that you need. Of course, if you never help others, no one is interested in assisting you. Your colleagues are not competitors but your saviours. Find mentors. They are all around you. People who can guide you and counsel you. Find reason to be around them. Ask them questions at every opportunity. Accept defeat. Today, the employee who says ‘I need help with this’, is better promotion material than one who struggles in silence and hopes no one will notice that they are unable to deliver. The latter has the big picture in mind. They have better awareness on the skills demand of the task in comparison with their existing skills.

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