by Tom Ainsworth

Consider the lowly (or not so low) speed bump.  They are commonly found on residential side streets and in parking lots.  Many times those pesky speed bumps sneak up on you when you least expect them. They are even in the high-rise parking garage that I park in everyday during the week.

I consider speed bumps as falling into the category of inventions that were designed to “outsmart human nature”.  Seriously though, speed bumps save lives and cause drivers to slow down.  Speed bumps cause a mandatory consideration of pedestrians who might be otherwise “be in the way” as some drivers make haste to get to their destination.

I was working late a few weeks ago.  As I was leaving my mostly empty, parking garage, I noticed something peculiar about the speed bumps.  I could clearly see something that wasn’t so obvious during peak-load times in the parking structure. The peculiar aspect was that the speed bumps were only placed on the exit roadways (not on any of the entry ramps or roadways)…so you only meet a speed bump on your way out of my parking garage.

One conclusion that I drew from my evening observation is that the my parking garage designers assumed that people have a tendency to drive a lot faster leaving work compared to going to work.  Regardless of the designer’s assumptions, you have to hand it to those speed bumps….they manage to get the driver’s attention.

I sometimes look to nature for guidance…..especially human nature.  I’m thinking that there is something analogous to speed bumps that might benefit the process of executing business projects or processes.  Perhaps applying the concept might be as simple as taking purposeful time to slow down for some mental speed bumps.  That purposeful “mental speed bump” time might include making sure team member or stakeholder ideas aren’t run over or thrown aside too quickly.

As projects and new processes begin and ramp up (similar to the “going to work” routine) most people involved in projects are careful to ask for team member inputs and to be sensitive to stakeholder’s positions.  They don’t seem to need the speed bumps.  As projects mature however, taking the time to navigate those mental speed bumps can cause a mandatory consideration to maximize the inputs of other team members and stakeholders.…..those who might otherwise be considered  as “being in the way” of some “drivers” making haste to get to their destination.