​This is a great and apt lyric from The 59th Street Bridge Song by Simon & Garfunkel. One critical competence for a professional adviser is knowing when to slow down and take the foot off the gas. This may be (1) during a deal in order to resolve a problem, or (2) when it has finished to recognise achievement and learn from it. This is particularly pertinent as we return reinvigorated from summer holidays ready to reengage in our working world with renewed energy and enthusiasm. I have been reading another book by Professor Steve Peters A Path Through the Jungle -  see my blog back in February Managing our Chimps in Negotiations. The author explains complex neuroscience with a mind model utilising a chimp analogy for the instinctive part of our behaviour. He tells a great story about an elite athlete he coached successfully to both a world championship and a world record. However, after a few weeks the athlete appeared unsettled (again) and as Professor Peters says “Their Chimp then offered me one of my favourite Chimp quotes: “I know I set a world record but I didn’t set a good world record”.!” In our busy and driven professional working lives the same “chimp” mentality or reaction as that of the athlete can be unproductive and even unprofessional. 
 
See this briefing 8 situations where it's better to slow down at work which reports on an article in the Wall Street Journal by two Stanford professors. "We all know the feeling of rushing into fix something before we even know what's going on ….And we know what happens: We not only don't fix anything, but we make the problem worse." They cite eight situations where employees should be encouraged to slow down including:
 
“1. When you have to make big, irreversible decisions
 
According to Amazon founder and former CEO Jeff Bezos, leaders should consider whether the decisions they're making are "one way" or "two way" doors. One-way doors are "consequential and irreversible or nearly irreversible, ….and one-way decisions "must be made methodically, carefully, slowly, with great deliberation and consultation."
 
2. When you're trying to solve complicated problems
 
In a 2023 study published in Nature Communications, researchers found that individuals with higher scores in general intelligence took longer to solve difficult problems. This longer problem-solving time also led to greater accuracy since they did not prematurely leap to incorrect conclusions.
 
3. When you're doing creative work
 
According to Teresa Amabile, a psychologist and professor at Harvard Business School, people will perform poorly on creative work when they have to work quickly, efficiently, and avoid making mistakes.”
 
I also like this article A Strategic Leadership Paradox: Slow Down to Speed Up which observes “We live in a culture where “Go go go,” and “Fail fast,” are norms….. AND YET … moving too fast can cause errors, self-centeredness, misunderstandings, lack of innovation and strategic thinking, chaos, and so much more.” It sets out the costs of moving too quickly which include errors, communication breakdown and lack of strategic thinking and cites supporting research. “A Harvard Business Review study of 343 companies found that businesses that chose to “go, go, go” without slowing down enough to be strategic about their business decisions ended up with lower sales and operating profits than the compared companies, which “paused at key moments to make sure they were on the right track.”” It cites strategies to “slow Down to Speed Up”including one I consider key: “Focus on Long-Term Vision Over Short-Term Wins.”
 
In a complex high value negotiation, all sorts of time factors come into play, some more “real” or relevant than others, which impact timing and behaviour including:
 

• False deadlines.
• Fear that the deal will go to someone else. 
• Professional advisers’ fees mounting up. 
• Delay in the savings and other benefits the deal is intended to bring. 
• “Playing” the normal negotiating game with the expected engagement.

 
Ultimately as professionals I suggest we should strive to achieve a balance between urgency and concluding a successful and effective contract where both parties win and meet their expectations. When this happens taking time after the deal has closed to understand why and what went well so as to repeat the pattern is critical. Too often the pressures of private practice and fee earning targets mean we move onto the next transaction almost before the previous one has finished. Even in industry I have rarely seen successful “lessons learned” processes that actually work. Often there is a rather low-key one-off effort, but in reality, deals soon become history.
 
I propose that a separate part of the organisation from the bid team should drive this “slowing down” and conduct a post deal “lessons learned” review process designed to turn individual wins into repeatable patterns and strategies for the purchaser and the supplier. This can cover commercial, operational, legal, risk acceptance and relationship dimensions. Capturing the knowledge and documentation developed by the bid team for the benefit of the delivery team and future negotiations is vital. Key stages include:
 

• A wash up meeting with all key stakeholders within 2 weeks of signing

 

• Comparing the final deal metrics with the original objectives.

 

• Reviewing what went well and what could be improved

 

• Determining how to codify and share knowledge.

 
Actually, in my experience it is relatively easy to come up with such a process including a post deal review checklist (ClaudeAI will readily create one for you) and to hold one wash up meeting after the contract has been signed. However, then some kind of business inertia almost always kicks in and well-meaning efforts to capture and implement lessons learned simply evaporate. The window for self-reflection rapidly closes as new commercial pressures take over. There are a number of reasons for this:
 

• the cross functional deal team disbands
• a delivery team takes over with a narrower focus and less historic knowledge
• the intense push to reach contract signature leaves teams exhausted and unwilling to participate in lengthy retrospective meetings
• nobody wants to reopen sensitive issues or face criticism over complex compromises
• the focus of key stakeholders moves on to or opportunities or challenges.

 
I don’t have a complete answer to this conundrum but maybe the art here is to shift from a single exhaustive wash up to an embedded, continuous review process led by a dedicated function which as I say is independent of the bid or delivery teams. This can capture insights early, build governance into the handover, improve ongoing delivery with stakeholder support, create living playbooks and enhance cross functional ownership. The focus should be on improved processes not on critiquing or indeed praising individuals.
 
“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” — Lao Tzu.
 
“There is more to life than increasing its speed.” — Mahatma Gandhi.
 
“Be not afraid of going slowly, be afraid only of standing still.” — Chinese Proverb.
 

As I write this it is 34 degrees outside and rising! I am sure everyone has their own story about this summer’s challenging heatwave, brown lawns, hosepipe bans, not sleeping etc. Mine is about our feathered friends. I looked out of the window on our staircase last week onto yet another dry and scorching day to see three small birds drinking and bathing in some water that had dripped into a ground floor gutter from an air conditioning unit and become trapped by debris. Several things came together here unexpectedly which worked to the advantage of the birds. Firstly, we get the gutters cleaned every winter but clearly there had been an unusual build-up of dry leaves and twigs. Secondly, I had noticed the water and almost decided to clear the leaves and let it drain away but something else came up and I never did. Thirdly we had invested several years ago in the air conditioning, more to improve the air quality in our house than for our current heatwaves - but very useful all the same – and now it was producing an unanticipated benefit as its drain flowed into the gutter. All these factors came together to provide an unexpected, serendipitous solution for the thirsty birds in the drought. We do also have a more conventional bird bath, but this more lateral solution seemed to work well and appeal to the birds.
 
In our professional working lives, we sometimes follow such rigid plans and patterns that there is little room or even appetite for recognising and allowing innovative and unusual solutions to come to our rescue even in difficult circumstances. This is particularly true rather ironically if you are, for example, an experienced senior commercial or corporate lawyer going around the loop on an IT service contract or share purchase agreement for the umpteenth time. It is so easy to end up in the same stale arguments about limits of liability or vendor warranties. If a junior lawyer less immersed in the “normal” way of doing things tentatively proposes a different solution how often is this simply overlooked because they don’t have the requisite gravitas or experience? 
 
Perhaps the classic example of this conundrum dates back to 1939 when a statistics graduate student George Dantzig at UC Berkeley arrived late to class and copied down two problems he thought were set as homework. He went home and while he found them difficult eventually solved the equations and handed them in – to the enormous surprise of his professor. They were not homework at all but two famous unsolved problems in statistical theory. It helped that the student never knew this was impossible and simply worked out the solutions. He succeeded because he did not have the preconceived belief that the problems were unsolvable.
 
AI proposes “Taking advantage of unexpected solutions requires dropping rigid assumptions, staying open to surprise, and rapidly testing ideas that initially look wrong or odd.” I found a book on this topic called The Art of Unexpected Solutions: Using Lateral Thinking to Find Breakthroughs by Paul Sloane – “this powerful guide reveals how openness to surprise can spark breakthroughs and redefine your approach to problem-solving. By taking risks and learning from unintended outcomes, you'll find unconventional solutions that drive innovation and set you apart from the competition.”
 
See also this Indeed article Creative problem solving: unlocking innovation in the workplace which proposes (perhaps paradoxically) that “Creative problem solving involves a structured process that encourages innovative thinking to find unique solutions to challenge.” It then suggests that after identifying and understanding the actual problem “the next step is to turn these issues into creative challenges. This means framing your questions to encourage ideas and suggestions.” Then you can generate and implement the ideas. Not rocket science but we often simply don’t do this in the heat of the moment.
However, this is more than just being innovative and “creative” as discussed in my blog last year The Creative Professional. It is about having the ability to “think laterally” to solve a problem. The concept of lateral thinking was originally coined by the Maltese physician and commentator Edward de Bono in 1967 in his book The Use of Lateral Thinking where he describe this ability to solve problems by imagining solutions that logic alone cannot reach, which matters most when standard playbooks (or thinking) stop working. In another book  Lateral Thinking: A Textbook of Creativity he explains this quite subtle but clear distinction. “Lateral thinking is closely related to creativity. But whereas creativity is too often only the description of a result, lateral thinking is the description of a process. One can only admire a result but one can learn to use a process”. I was privileged to attend a talk he gave at the Institution of Electrical Engineers in London where he illustrated different ways of thinking with examples. When English drivers see a traffic light going from green to orange and then red, they slow down and stop. Italian drivers when they see the lights changing speed up to get through! He explained how the perspective on topics can change and drive solutions. 

See this BetterUp article What is lateral thinking? 7 techniques to encourage creative ideas which cites Edward de Bono – “He proposed lateral thinking as a new way to move past our cognitive biases and be more inventive:

• Vertical thinking, the opposite of lateral thinking according to de Bono, is reason-based. You gather all available data and move sequentially from one step to the next until you reach a logical conclusion. This is what he says the human brain does naturally.
• Lateral thinking instead combines imagination and intuition. You consciously try to generate ideas and scenarios that imagine uncertainties outside the information you already have. It places more importance on the ideas themselves and doesn’t dwell on the outcome until later.”

​It proposes techniques to encourage this approach including ask why, consider all the alternatives, invite external stimuli and mind mapping (breaking a problem into smaller pieces). It concludes “Lateral thinking leads to more creative collaboration and greater innovation. You could also uncover inefficiencies in your business you never knew were there.”

Sometimes the solution to a problem requires this sort of "out of the box" lateral thinking as opposed to a more conventional approach. An Alaskan telecoms company once had a difficult operational challenge - its telegraph lines became covered with snow every winter and eventually collapsed. It summonsed all its managers to brainstorm the problem, and they were encouraged to say what they thought no matter how far-fetched or ridiculous it might appear. One attendee jokingly said they should get a grizzly bear to go from post to post shaking the snow off. "How can we make a bear move?" asked somebody else. "Drive it along with a helicopter." came the reply. And then they realised the answer to their conundrum: fly a helicopter low along the lines and let the wind created by its rotors blow the snow off. Later engineers even developed helicopter-mounted devices that mechanically vibrated or brushed the lines to knock the ice loose.
 
"You cannot dig a hole in a different place by digging the same hole deeper." — Edward de Bono.
 
“If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got." — Henry Ford.
 
"The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them." — Albert Einstein.

I am privileged to belong to a tennis club with landscaped grounds. After taking a break for a swim earlier this week, I sat on the terrace having lunch by the lake with fountains, waterfowl and dragon fly. A Canada goose climbed out of water to look for titbits. Large carp were swimming in the water. However, while I was waiting for my meal what did I do? Did I take in this magnificent scenery and relax? No, after a quick glance at the lake I picked up my phone and started browsing my work and personal emails, WhatsApp messages and even Amazon deliveries. I caught myself just in time and putting my mobile down focused on the here and now and just enjoyed the view. As you sit by the pool or on the beach on your summer holidays, I commend you to ditch your smartphone and allow yourself to enjoy the moment. Some years ago, a colleague’s wife locked his Blackberry (remember those forerunners of iPhones and Samsung Galaxies) in the glove compartment of their car at the airport car park on their outward journey. Wise move.
 
In 2024 I wrote about the importance of Concentrating on the Present Moment at work. The increasing and almost obsessive use of electronic communication devices challenges this capability. It can be frankly detrimental to our professional work to ignore our colleagues and immediate environment and keep our nose glued to a mobile screen. When attending a crucial in person kick off meeting for a complex transaction, it really pays to be focused. This is when the ground rules for the transaction are laid down and is a great opportunity to get to know and understand the other side and their motivations. It used to be the case pre social media and our “always on” working and personal world that there were far fewer distractions. If someone was reading the paper or on the phone it was very obvious and generally frowned upon. At the start everyone greeted each other by shaking hands and making small talk that broke the ice and set the tone. Now as you sit down you often notice the other participants are so intent on their smartphones or whatever device(s) they are using, that they hardly look up and barely acknowledge your or anybody else’s existence. This is hardly an auspicious start to the multitude of interactions inherent in any complex IT contract negotiation.
 
Perhaps we have now gone beyond merely using devices for work (and our social lives) in a controlled and sensible manner to a form of addiction. See this blog Social Media And Device Addiction – The Hidden Cost For Employers and some related content Social Media And Device Addiction – Is It Time To Switch Off? and Social Media And Device Addiction – Tips To Manage Device Overload And Boost Productivity which propose that “Smartphones are a powerful tool. But in the workplace, they can be a source of distraction and reduced productivity.” It observes that “According to a study by Whistle Out, the average person will spend 76,500 hours on their smartphone over their lifetime, that’s 8.74 years of your life spent staring at a screen.” It is hard to put your phone down because “Every ping or buzz can trigger the release of cortisol (a hormone linked to stress) as your brain flags it as something that needs immediate attention. Similarly, it also releases dopamine, creating a sense of anticipation and reward, leading to compulsive checking.” Potential solutions include:
 

• Promote awareness 
• Encourage breaks away from screens – set phone free times 
• Managers leading by example and modelling healthy device habits. 
• Turn off non-essential notifications
• Cap daily use of apps (some apps can do this).

 
To gain some perspective from a different profession (and generation) I discussed this topic with my son who is a senior university lecturer. We agreed on three important things.
 
1 It is a Leadership Issue
 
This is not just about the behaviour of individual participants in a business meeting or lecture. The organiser can and should set the tone and indeed rules for the session and regulate the use of electronic devices, seeking agreement to limit the use of mobile phones to something related to the session.
 
2 Online Devices Can be a Valuable Resource
 
Mobile devices are of course by no means all bad and disruptive. Having online side communication during meetings can be very useful. For example, your side can discuss progress using Teams or a WhatsApp group in real time and say agree when to have a break to resolve a sticky issue. 
 
3 Use Technology to Manage Technology. 
 
Gamers who have been subject to these online challenges for several decades have an invisible mode where they can see but not play if they want a rest. We can do this for meetings as well – using technology as a control tool - setting a thief to catch a thief as it were. Although there are limits associated with privacy and possible intrusion into our personal lives.
 
Here with assistance from Claude AI are suggestions to be used where relevant and sometimes in combination to manage the use of mobile devices in a professional working context – though some may also help in our personal lives. 
 
Software Tools
 

• Meeting-mode apps such as 

 
Forest a productivity and time-management app designed to help users beat smartphone addiction and stay focused. You plant a virtual seed, set a timer, and watch it grow into a tree while you work; if you leave the app, your tree withers.
 
 Flipd a digital productivity timer and habit tracker designed to help users minimize screen time, focus on tasks, and study.
 
One sec a digital wellbeing tool designed to reduce screen time and mindlessly opening addictive apps. It works by forcing a brief mindful pause—such as a deep breathing exercise—every time you launch targeted apps like Instagram or TikTok.
 

• Focus time features in Google Calendar and Microsoft Outlook which help protect work by blocking schedule slots, silencing notifications, and declining meetings - built-in tools to manage uninterrupted work periods.

 

• Screen Time/Digital Wellbeing - a built-in tool on Android devices that tracks screen time, app usage with limits set to trigger automatically during work hours.

 
Physical/hardware solutions
 

• Signal-blocking pouches (Yondr Pouch) that lock phones for the meeting’s duration — common in schools, increasingly used in corporate settings. This is a secure, lockable virtual container used to keep mobile phones off-limits. Users keep physical possession of their locked device, and the pouch can only be unlocked using a special magnetic base at exit stations.

 

• A designated charging station or “phone basket” outside the room.

 

• RF-shielded meeting rooms (rare, expensive, usually reserved for high-security contexts).

 
Network-level controls
            

• IT functions can restrict certain apps/sites on the guest or meeting-room Wi-Fi during booked slots.
• MDM (mobile device management) policies that push temporary app restrictions to company-issued phones during calendar-flagged meetings.        

 
Meeting-tool features
 

• “Focus mode” in Zoom, a host-controlled feature that lets the meeting host and co-hosts view all participant videos and shared screens while preventing participants from seeing or being distracted by one another. There has however been a privacy backlash to the use of such controls.

 
This last point highlights the challenges in a work context. How and to what extent should professional practices seek to manage the use (or overuse) of electronic devices at work? Many have the same mobile for business and personal use. I tried having two phones, but it is a real hassle.  But this is not just about private versus office use. It is about effective focus on the task or meeting in hand. I facilitated an in person commercial contract training session where attendees kept using their laptops to work on their day job. This is disrespectful and negates the point of attending. Some management of device usage at work seems worthy of consideration.
 
 As the author and speaker Simon Sinek observed “When we show up for a meeting, or we sit down for dinner with our families, and we put the phone on the table, it sends a psychological message to everyone sitting there that you are not the most important thing to me right now.”
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