#false urgency

Take a deep breath and think about the basics: did I actually enter an employment contract with these dwarves? Do I even want to be a professional burglar?

Before shoving your keys into a wizard’s hands and rushing off because “you will have to run to get to the Green Dragon Inn by 11 am sharp,” take time to remember your own priorities, question the authority of the person making you panic, and consider:

Typically this describes a culture in which speed trumps quality. The cultural focus is on rushing to meet deadlines, rather than the quality of productive outputs. Along the way there are significant costs for people, including re-work, relationship breakdowns through to burnout. Unsurprisingly the problem begins at the top, whether it be an organisation or a team. I have had people describe…