Taking Time for Improvement Is More Important Than Chasing Production

One of the key lessons from Lean principles is this: taking time for improvement is more important than constantly pushing for production. It might feel counterintuitive, especially in fast-paced environments, but slowing down temporarily is often exactly what allows you to speed up sustainably later.

This idea ties closely to a concept I’ve written about before “slowing down to speed up.” Especially when working in customer service environments, where short-cycle steering is the norm and Workforce Management (WFM) principles often drive a sharp focus on today’s accessibility rates, it’s easy to fall into the trap of chasing immediate production at the cost of long-term performance.

For example, in customer service settings, a daily start-of-day meeting is typically limited to 15 minutes, with an emphasis on not exceeding that timeframe, because every minute counts for adherence and operational efficiency. But here’s the truth: sometimes it’s better to overrun by a few minutes if you’re discussing something critical. It’s worth taking a temporary dip in accessibility to have a meaningful conversation that strengthens your team’s future performance.

Temporary pain for lasting gain.

That’s the trade-off. Whether it’s spending an extra 15 minutes in a team meeting, taking half a day to deliver important training, or dedicating a whole week to a strategic improvement sprint, it’s almost always worth it. Rushing endlessly without pausing for real improvements only leaves you stuck firefighting day after day.

Not everyone dares to slow down, especially when daily metrics, service levels, and customer expectations create constant pressure. But real leadership, real operational excellence, comes from knowing when to choose short-term inconvenience to achieve long-term strength.

Of course, you must ensure that the time you invest in improvement is well spent. It’s important to have a clear feeling and understanding of what you’re working on and why. Improvement for improvement’s sake doesn’t help but thoughtful, focused investment does.

If you don’t take this time, you’ll find yourself trapped in the urgent chaos of the moment, always reacting, never truly moving forward. You’re constantly putting out small fires instead of building a system that prevents them from starting in the first place.

It’s about making deliberate choices:

• Short-term comfort vs. long-term success.

• Immediate results vs. sustainable growth.

Another way to look at it:

Imagine you’re short on staff. Do you rush to hire someone who isn’t a good fit just to fill a gap?

It might solve today’s problem, but in the long run, you end up with bigger issues: poor performance, frustrated teams, possible absenteeism, and the time-consuming process of eventually parting ways with that employee, all while still needing to refill the vacancy.

Wouldn’t it have been better to endure the short-term pain of being a little understaffed and invest that time in finding the right person?

This same principle applies across your operations. When you make decisions, ask yourself:

• Are we prioritizing immediate needs over future health?

• What will serve the team and the organization not just today, but six months from now?

Lean thinking teaches us: Stop pushing production at all costs. Start investing in improvement, even if it hurts a little now.

Because the future rewards are worth far more than today’s fleeting comfort.