3 Tips to Help You Overcome Perfectionism and Find a Balance Between Quality and Speed

You’re reading this post for many reasons including your drive and dedication. Given that you want to get things right and do great work, it may be tough to figure out how to get your mindset from “perfect” to “perfectly good enough.” That’s why it’s extra important to invest the energy so you find the right balance between quality and speed.

As illustrated in the image below, the goal is to get to green - high quality work that’s completed quickly.?

But, how do you get from where you are to high quality with a rapid delivery time? Here are 3 things to consider that may help you balance both quality and speed without sacrificing one for the other:

1) Tip #1: Consider the Impact on the Bottom Line

As a recovering perfectionist myself, I’ve found it to be particularly helpful to remind myself of the cost of my spending extra time on a project to ensure its flawless presentation. So, consider whether it’s worth a direct hit to the company’s profitability when you opt to spend more time getting your project to a point of perfection.?

2) Tip #2: Schedule Your Work with Ample Time for Completion

Scheduling and time management are extremely important tools to combat the tendency to sacrifice quality for speed. By understanding and preparing in advance for upcoming deadlines, you can decrease the urge to speed through tasks. Usually, you’re most tempted to speed through work without checking for mistakes when there’s an upcoming deadline and you’re racing to submit your work on time.? Looking ahead at deadlines a few days (weeks when possible) in advance can help to set your daily, weekly, and monthly priorities and eliminate the stressful crunch time around deadlines.?

3) Tip #3 Track and Analyze Time Spent on Problems and Tasks

Whether you use a watch or a time tracking app like Toggl Track, start paying attention to how much time you’re spending on certain tasks. For example:?

How much time does it take for you to solve a specific problem?

• When a problem first comes up, be mindful of how much time it takes before you’re able to solve it. This can be helpful in identifying workflows that may need adjusting (i.e., miscommunication between colleagues, not understanding problem scope, or overall opportunities for change in process)?

How much time does it take for you to complete a task?

• Take stock of your week and pinpoint how long it takes for you to complete your tasks. This can help you identify areas that could be done quicker or areas that perhaps you may need more help to complete.?

What percentage of your tasks aren’t completed?

• Similar to analyzing how many people put items in their cart but don’t checkout, assessing what percentage of your tasks don’t get completed can help you to see holes in your workflows and address them directly.?

Understanding how to balance quality and speed without sacrificing one for the other is critical for long term career success. While it’s not easy, it’s very important. I hope these 3 tips: considering the impact on the bottom line, scheduling your work with ample time for completion, and tracking and analyzing how much time you spend will help you strike the balance between quality and speed.?

If you’re not sure where to start on this, ask your manager, your project manager, or other colleague you’re working with on the project. Imagine all of the time you’ll save when you take the time to investigate, inquire, and discover how to get to “perfectly good enough.”

And, remember… YOU. ARE. AWESOME!!