Slow line
CONSUMPTION is what drives our GDP, accounting for about 70%, a big chunk of that in private consumption. Does this number then sometimes mean lining up for the purchase of goods and services, even with online marketing? And when demand is high, is the slow line becoming a fact of life?
To understand the slow line, one only needs to visit a doctor’s clinic for consultation. Not only is the doctor limited to an availability of only three times a week, he also does not arrive at his appointed start. His receptionist is only a few minutes earlier. She consults the posted sequence of patients on the door. (These may not necessarily be waiting outside.)
While the first-come-first-served rule is applied even to those with confirmed appointments, the delay can still be indefinite. The waiting time is not fixed as the length of consultation with the doctor varies according to the patient’s condition. So, it’s possible to wait for three hours even if one signed in (either personally or by proxy) as third in line.
Is the fast line (or no line at all) reserved for the rich and powerful who can’t stand waiting and have the means to jump the queue? They can skip the whole dine-in experience and just buy the food for home consumption. Even when traveling, the rich person just buys the expensive ticket and avoids the long line.
The slow line is a discouraging situation. This has also made pre-paid RFID obligatory on toll roads. The one forced to pay cash is sidelined and punished with non-entry or slow processing. (Please go back to the RFID booth in the next province.)
Reservations are no longer the solution for avoiding the slow line. Some restaurants have now opted for a “no reservation” rule, favoring walk-in customers who just pop up, ensuring there are no empty tables awaiting those with reservations to show up. If reservations are still accepted, there is a time limit for holding the table and the imposition of a “cancellation fee” for no-shows or latecomers.
Are careers too skipping the slow line? Is promotion from within, marked by a steady progress to the top, a thing of the past? Recruiters used to be able to get away with promising a higher position and salary by a certain time if the executive being pirated can show results. Now, the higher position and salary for outside hires must be given up front, sometimes with the offer of a signing bonus. Let the company take the risk of being stuck with the executive lemon. (For the lemon juice department later).
Companies that have dispensed with the slow line are on the rise. Gone are the days when the natural growth of sales and markets alone accounted for a company’s advance among the ranks of the blue chips. Mergers and acquisitions are now the preferred route to acquire size and corporate power. Why wait for organic growth?
The shortening of the cycle between identifying the need and satisfying it has resulted in both increasing the variety of needs to be satisfied and, often, reducing the level of satisfaction in achieving a goal earned easily and too soon.
Instant gratification requires eliminating the long wait, even for career advancement.
The slow ascent that allowed deeper work experience, with the imbibing of the corporate culture has become an obstacle for the “fast tracker.” Jumping the queue even in promotions and the acquisition of greater responsibility and pay has raised expectations in succession planning. The patient executive previously honored for his loyalty is now dismissed as a mere clinger, unable to get a better job outside.
The enduring satisfaction engendered by reaching an objective after a long and arduous effort, perhaps even marked by a few disappointments along the way, is no longer the usual path to the top.
Perhaps, it is the truly worthwhile things like wisdom acquired over time, enduring faith, friendship without a hidden agenda, and a relationship of love and sacrifice, which cannot be quickly attained and instantly guaranteed.
The slow line after all allows us to test our patience… and maybe enjoy the view.
Tony Samson is chairman and CEO of TOUCH xda