It’s nice to have fast-acting employees on your team. But some people have such a deep need to get things resolved that they move too quickly and make a mess. They may secure a bad deal just to say they’ve done it, or issue a faulty directive so that they can say they’ve handled a problem. You can help these people learn to corral their sense of urgency. Start by demonstrating how their approach might be hurting them. When someone is urgent about only their own goals and tasks, others may perceive them as being not a team player. It’s typical for too-urgent employees to see the upsides but not the downsides of acting quickly, so encourage them to identify all the consequences of their actions. Then put them on projects with high-performing, long-term thinkers so that they can see the benefits of a tempered, thoughtful approach. By watching others, they will observe how reflection and deliberation can generate significantly better results.
Adapted from "How to Manage Someone Who Thinks Everything Is Urgent," by Liz Kislik
