My New Workflow System Took a Year to Implement. Here’s Why It Was a Good Thing

I implemented a new workflow and timekeeping system. It took almost a year.

Naturally, I was frustrated.

Why? Because speed is normal. A delay is unacceptable. Right?

The promise of speed, for right or wrong, colors every aspect of our work lives. Each advancement in technology promises that work will get easier, and our free time will expand and, most importantly, we will be happier.

When it doesn’t happen that way, we have this collective urge to resist. To give up. To opt out. To find the easy button.

If the goal is worthy enough, though, persistence rather than speed is what we really need. Persistence moved me gradually in the right direction after exploring several software demos and trials, after asking deeper questions of salespeople. When I recognized that an upgrade of our previous system was probably the simplest option, I still had to find a couple workarounds.

Yes, it was frustrating. But in the end, my need for the right solution overcame my impatience to finish the project. I found the workarounds. The good news? Integration was super easy compared to introducing a whole new workflow and timekeeping system.

Apply Persistence to Business Solutions

Business owners are promised that sales and new customers and growth will be achieved (faster and easier!) with the right tools or technologies. Still, whether you are selling products or services, you must set up the right data, the right sequence of messages, incentives and follow-up to attract new customers.

You need persistence to monitor and optimize the technology for best results. We even see it with the technology makers, who apply user experience and troubleshooting to build in new features, patches and workarounds. The most beloved products and services are the children of persistence.

In business, it takes persistence to create lasting value, relationships and opportunities. Whether you are attracting a new client or hiring someone, persistence creates space for alternatives and creativity.

Persistence also assumes that the extra effort and time will be worth the result. Or else, why pursue it in the first place?

If you are stuck in your current marketing or growth initiatives, don’t just opt out. Let persistence guide you toward alternative tools or points of view. Let me know if I can help.