Recently, I was flying home from Spain after vacation. As reported, the airports were a bit of a mess and the security lines were long.
When we finally got to the metal detector and were in the process of depositing our stuff into the plastic bins, an older woman cut in front of us and sent her many bags ahead of ours. She looked harried and impatient and her bag looked like it exploded as she dug out various electronics and little plastic containers and threw them into bins.
I was momentarily annoyed and then shrugged. Whatcha gonna do?
She then hurried her way through the metal detector, only to get sent back. She went through again and then hustled to collect her bag. Security conferred with her and sent her bag back through the detector.
Then they sent it through again.
By the time we left the security area, they were in the process of sending her and her bag through a fourth time.
All I could do was laugh.
How many times had I been just like that woman? Hustling through something with a sense of urgency only to have to go back and do it again because of my carelessness the first time?
Answer: more times than I care to admit.
The lesson here is that sometimes slowing down saves time in the end. Taking the time to do it the right way is better.
That means taking the time to develop the relationship.
That means taking an extra second to write that personal note.
That means slowing down an extra half second to say thank you.
That means taking the time to double-check.
It will save you from having to go through the metal detector four times.
