THE MYTH OF SPEED = QUALITY SERVICE

• If you were to visit a noted surgeon to have a delicate operation performed--especially upon an organ whose destruction would prove painful or incapacitating--would you be seeking "speed" from your surgeon?
• Are the most enjoyable visits with longtime friends the visits shoehorned between other pressing appointments?
• Would you describe as a factor in your most joyous and memorable interludes of intimacy the expediency of your partner?

If you answered "NO" to at least 2 or 3 of those questions, then you comprehend why the corporate mantra equating speed to the ideal customer/guest experience may be the very myth that I claim it to be. Don't get me wrong...I like my drive-thru at Dunkin' Donuts to be reasonably quick, and I run into Little Caesar's for a "Hot and Ready" for exactly the reason that the name implies, but there is a reason why Borders Bookstores have couches and cafes.

Additionally, there are still many of us who relish the human dialogue that occurs naturally when you make a purchase, mail a letter, or go on a date. I subscribe to renowned author Stephen Covey's notion that you cannot rush the harvest.

It may very well be that the very business leaders who tout speed as the equivalency of quality service may be masking the very lack of true sustainable quality in the service itself, or simply in the character of the speaker herself/himself. Authentic quality need not be set to an egg timer to be appreciated by its purchasers.

TODAY'S QUESTION: Are your most satisfying and relaxing personal experiences in life always...FAST?

THE MYTH OF THE 24/7 LIFESTYLE

You have seen this individual: always moving, always talking, always "connected" via various gadgets. Advertisers and futurists would have us believe that EVERYONE is living the 24/7 lifestyle. Images of smart phones buzzing at 3 a.m., text messages, email, PCs that are never powered down amidst the perma-glowing screen. Fast. Available. On the go.

Really? No, I mean REALLY?

Is that really what life is about? Are the seasons, the oceans, the mountains, the sunset, the full moon, streams, rivers, foliage, ski slopes, ponds...all created simply to be backdrops to concrete, glass and asphalt office parks? Certainly not.

Again, picture the individuals you see allegedly living this 24/7 lifestyle. Do they appear peaceful? Do they enjoy hobbies? How are their family lives? How are they faring physically? Beneath the steely veneer of being a "go getter" lies deep-seated insecurity. The whirl of activity and work may mask the individual's inability to relax, converse, bond, until viewed more closely...in slow motion.

At the hour of the final judgment, will the Creator look this one-dimensional corporate "titan" in the eye and exclaim "well done"? Or will the Creator look beyond the trappings of earthly life, and see the broken spirit that would have benefited from more friendship, more healthful living, more balance? This mystery is not for you and I to judge, but from which we can certainly learn to shun.

TODAY'S QUESTION: Will you choose balance or will you pay the price for life unbalanced?