How to Move Fast and Fix Things

In today's fast-paced business environment, leaders often feel an intense pressure to move fast, innovate quickly, and drive rapid growth. But this constant acceleration can come at a human cost if we aren't intentional about balancing speed with care.

In a recent conversation on the SPARKED podcast, author and organizational consultant Anne Morriss shared insights on how leaders can continue moving fast while still honoring people's basic needs. The discussion revealed key strategies for maintaining urgency while avoiding collateral damage.

As our workplaces move into the future, it's critical that we bring our full humanity with us. Here are the key takeaways from our wise conversation on how leaders can build organizations that value both care and speed.

Question the "Move Fast and Break Things" Mantra

The startup world's common mantra to "move fast and break things" has caused considerable collateral damage, often to the wellbeing of employees. Anne has seen this first-hand at companies where people are burnt out and stressed trying to keep up an unsustainable pace. Like a car engine pushed way past the speed limit, eventually something crucial breaks down.

She encourages leaders to question assumptions that moving fast necessarily requires breaking people. There are ways for care, well-being, and innovation to coexist - we just have to be intentional about designing work cultures that allow it.

Practically, this means starting by questioning and auditing your current work practices to identify what’s unsustainable on the human side of the equation. Survey employees anonymously to pinpoint pain points. Then collaborate to brainstorm more humane workflows.

Identify the Real Problems

Rather than reacting quickly, leaders need to take time to accurately identify their organization's real, underlying problems. It’s like trying to treat someone’s symptoms without ever getting to the root illness causing them. You might mask the issue for a while, but you’re not really solving it.

What issues are festering and affecting employees and customers? Involve diverse perspectives in this assessment process to get a full view. As Anne said, the problems that are allowed to fester are often the ones hurting people.

Make this diagnostic process proactive and continuous - don’t wait for something to break down. Routinely check in with different stakeholders and encourage brutal honesty. Be ready to question your own assumptions about what the “real” issues are.

Build Trust Through Authenticity, Empathy, and Competence

Trust makes it possible to move fast without losing people along the way. It’s like a safety harness that gives people the confidence to take on risks and embrace change.

Leaders build trust by being authentic, showing empathy for people's needs, and demonstrating competence. Doubling down on just one area when trust wavers isn't enough - examine where the disconnect is happening and address it.

Make trust-building a daily practice, not a one-off event. Start meetings by checking in on how people are feeling. Listen deeply and make space for emotions, not just tasks. Then match caring words with competent action and follow-through.

Tell a Compelling Story

Get people onboard with change by telling a powerful story. Imagine yourself as a tour guide, passionately describing an inspiring vision of the future that people can vividly imagine being a part of.

The story should honor the past, clearly explain why change is needed, and paint a picture of a rigorous yet optimistic future. Simplicity and brevity help the core story stick.

Engage speechwriters or even artists to help craft your narrative. Share and repeat it often. Storytelling is a muscle - it gets stronger the more you use it.

Schedule Time for Recovery

Like humans, organizations need to regularly rest and recover. Structures like 4-day work weeks build in space for people to replenish energy and boost capacity - leading to greater speed and innovation long-term. What works for individuals often works for organizations too.

See recovery time not as a cost, but an investment. Experiment with “horizontal career paths” that value regeneration over constant climbing. Celebrate employees who dedicate time to revitalizing themselves.

The path forward is clear: keep innovating and moving fast, but take the intentional time to build trust, re-examine assumptions, and honor people's fundamental needs. This balances sustainable speed with enduring care.

To hear more from Anne on how to create organizations that value both velocity and humanity, check out this insightful podcast conversation on SPARKED. It's a must-listen for any leader aiming to build a humane workplace without sacrificing progress. #innovation #culture #peoplefirst

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