Slow Down To Speed Up

There's a comedy trope where a general gives a pep talk to the troops, exhorts them to victory, and leads the charge up the hill, only to find that no one has followed. The troops are all still at the bottom of the hill. Why? Because the general, in his enthusiasm and haste, has failed to actually get his people bought into the mission. Likewise, when you want to move fast on an important initiative, you need to pause before charging ahead to make sure you've laid the groundwork for rapid and smooth implementation. 

What’s the best way to do this?

First, make sure to provide your team with the business context for the project. How does this work further the company's goals? What big picture problem is it solving? How does it affect existing initiatives? By giving your team the full picture on the project, they'll have a better sense of how their efforts impact the business, which gives them greater understanding, ownership, and motivation. 

Next, remember that while you've had days, weeks, or months to think about the project, your team may be learning about it for the first time. Enrolling them in the work will be more effective if you give them time to process the idea, consider it from different angles, and let it sink in. 

And finally, the probability of getting buy-in from your people rises significantly when they have the chance to provide input. Soliciting their questions and ideas allows them to be heard and increases their ownership and may well improve the overall plan. While it may feel counterproductive to slow down, moving forward without ensuring all the pieces are in place will cause further delays down the line. So make sure to provide context, give time for processing, and allow for input before moving forward. If you prepare correctly, you'll have your whole team charging forward with you.