Rushing is a part of life,
especially these days. It is not something that is going to go away
– it’s probably going to get worse. As soon as you realize you are
going faster than you normally go, slow down. Or if that’s not
possible, make sure you’re looking at what you are doing and thinking about the
line-of-fire and balance, traction or grip.
Trying to do many things at once is another form of rushing. It’s different than walking faster or trying to drive faster. Trying to do lots of things faster, all at the same time can easily cause eyes on task and mind on task problems. Consider a restaurant where a group of people or groups of people just happen to all come in at the same time. The chef will have more orders, appetizers, salads and entrees on the go than normal. More than likely, the chef will rush.
When you know you are doing more things at once than you normally would, you should:
Trying to do many things at once is another form of rushing. It’s different than walking faster or trying to drive faster. Trying to do lots of things faster, all at the same time can easily cause eyes on task and mind on task problems. Consider a restaurant where a group of people or groups of people just happen to all come in at the same time. The chef will have more orders, appetizers, salads and entrees on the go than normal. More than likely, the chef will rush.
When you know you are doing more things at once than you normally would, you should:
·
Pause for a second and look around for anything that could hurt
you if you made a critical error
·
Think about the correct order or sequence
·
Do one thing at a time and think about what you’re doing until
it’s finished; then move on to the next task
·
Remind yourself that it’s not worth getting hurt over
Even if you slow down to a
pace that allows you to avoid critical errors, it does not mean everyone else
will. When other people are rushing, they will be more likely to
make mistakes and the chance of them hurting you or someone else
increases.
If you see someone else rushing – whether it’s on foot or in a vehicle, you should:
If you see someone else rushing – whether it’s on foot or in a vehicle, you should:
·
Recognize they will be more likely to make an error
·
Try to stay out of their way (get out of the line of fire)
The idea that rushing causes mistakes is as old as the hills. “Haste makes waste” is not a new expression. Time management, organizational skills and planning can prevent having to rush. If you can’t prevent rushing, use your Critical Error Reduction Techniques, or CERTS, to help you recognize the patterns that increase risk of injury and how to reduce the risk.
