Accuracy Before Speed: The Rules of Sustainable Growth

When deadlines loom and the stress mounts, it’s human nature to want to speed up the process.

Work faster. Cut corners. Simply “get ‘er done,” as one popular comedian was fond of saying, because the clock is ticking.

But for anyone operating a business, that rush-to-the-finish-line approach is a dangerous one and ultimately costs more in time, money, and credibility than doing things the right way right from the start.

Yes, speed is important. But accuracy is more important. Your business won’t succeed and grow if it gains a reputation for doing a less-than-thorough job in the race to completion.

This is especially true in my field, the real estate development industry. Mistakes can lead to any number of defects — structural problems, faulty wiring, leaky roofs, you name it — that could result in millions of dollars in legal fees and repairs. For anyone in construction, or anyone who has taken a stab at woodworking, the adage “measure twice, cut once” might come to mind, reminding us that accuracy should not be minimized.

The fact that accuracy is more important than speed is also true in most other professions. In any career around the world, inaccuracies can lead to expensive consequences. That is the case whether you are an engineer in India, an architect in Norway, or a construction manager in the United States.

That doesn’t mean that speed is irrelevant. Projects are expected to stay on schedule, and no one has the luxury of endlessly extending deadlines. Business would come to a grinding halt if customers and clients couldn’t count on you to deliver products or services in a timely manner.

But it’s meaningless that you met your deadline if the result you deliver is riddled with flaws. Achieving accuracy requires diligence and attention to detail at every stage, items you can’t accomplish if your focus is entirely on finishing the job as fast as possible.

Accuracy doesn’t happen because you want it to. It happens because you put the right systems and processes in place to ensure it. The good news is that, when accuracy leads the way, speed follows naturally because time is not wasted fixing costly mistakes.

Creating a Culture That Prioritizes Accuracy

The further good news is that there are steps you can take to create a culture where accuracy takes top billing. They include:

• Assess the performance of team leaders and associates based on the quality of their work, not just how quickly they finish it. By aligning compensation incentives with these values, you can foster a culture where accuracy is valued, quality is celebrated, and speed naturally follows from doing things correctly from the start.
• When hiring a leader, identifying whether someone prioritizes thoroughness over speed can be revealing. It often comes down to their experience with quality control. When you interview candidates for these positions, explore how they have handled quality issues in their past roles.
  • Ask questions such as, “What’s your approach to quality control?” or “How do you ensure the work meets standards before it’s too late to fix it?” From their responses, you can draw insights into whether they have a reactive or proactive mindset. Do they talk about systems and processes, or do they seem overly obsessed with just getting things done?
• Align everyone involved in a project to a shared sense of urgency. The best way to achieve this is by committing to a realistic schedule, ensuring everyone understands their role in meeting it, and holding them accountable. By no means does this mean cutting corners. Instead, it is about planning meticulously and building trust with any partners on the project (subcontractors, for example) so they’ll be present when needed and complete their work on time.
• You’ve heard the phrase, “Lead by example.” Our leaders also need to model efficiency. When a leader is organized, responsive, and clear in their communication, the entire team becomes more efficient. It’s a simple concept: If you expect your team to prioritize accuracy and speed, you need to show them what that looks like through your own actions. Whether it’s showing up prepared to meetings, addressing issues quickly, or consistently reinforcing the importance of staying on schedule, leadership sets the tone.

Putting Accuracy and Speed Together

Even with all this focus on accuracy, speed is still important.

And the single most important factor that drives speed is communication. If communication falters, the entire schedule can unravel. Whether it’s responding to emails effectively or using tools that help streamline your efforts across various platforms, it’s worth the investment.

Speed also involves more than just meeting deadlines. It’s about keeping profitability and minimizing unnecessary expenses. For instance, construction interest accumulates daily, so a project’s costs increase significantly as it takes to finish that project.

In addition to financial implications, delays can put a strain on relationships with clients, investors, cities, jurisdictions, and trade partners, undermining trust and damaging your reputation. People need to know they can count on you. They have their own goals to meet, and if you and your team don’t deliver on time, that can potentially put them in a difficult situation or at the very least leave them frustrated.

But when you can get accuracy and speed working in tandem, everything moves quickly and efficiently. Your entire team can feel confident they’re working toward a shared goal and clients and customers can feel confident you will deliver on your promises.

About Rick Tollakson

Rick Tollakson is the former president and CEO of Hubbell Realty Company, where he served for over 40 years, including as CEO from 2004–2025. During his tenure, Hubbell grew from 70 to more than 700 associates, expanding into 18 business divisions across development, construction, property management, and homebuilding. Tollakson is also the author of Think Bigger, Lead Better: Eight to Great Principles for Organizational Success.