Taking Time Is Not Equal to Wasting Time

In our rush to embrace new technologies, are we unintentionally sacrificing human connection? We justify this trade-off with buzzwords like efficiency, speed, and quality, but I can’t help feeling that we’re losing something essential along the way.

Sales management is a prime example. The more technology we adopt, the more mechanized the process becomes. We dissect the sales journey into specialized roles—pre-sales, hunters, farmers, after-sales—and track them with an ever-growing stack of dashboards.

And yet, in almost every recent conference I’ve attended, the conversation keeps circling back to one core truth: humans matter most. The term “human-centered technology” is now a staple of keynote speeches. But here’s the paradox: if we all agree on the importance of humans, why do we repeatedly fail to make it a priority? Why is human connection treated as a talking point rather than a core practice?

Recently, a sales leader shared a dilemma that perfectly illustrated this disconnect. He was grappling with two salespeople on his team. Both had similar workloads, territories with comparable potential, and a similar number of visits, quotes, and projects. But one of them consistently delivered only half the sales results of the other.

Curious, I asked, “Did you ask him what’s happening?”

The leader nodded. “He said the economy is tough, and our product range is aging compared to the competition.”

That explanation felt surface-level, so I probed further. “Did you ask him what’s happening with him?”

The leader looked puzzled. I continued, “If he’s working as hard as his peer but delivering half the results, imagine how frustrated he must feel. Did you ask him how he’s coping with that? What’s going on in his mind, his world?”

He admitted he hadn’t thought about it that way. He wanted to, but his workload didn’t allow for such deep conversations. Time, he said, was the enemy.

So, I asked him a different question: “If you could choose just one person on your team to invest your time in, would it be this salesperson?”

He didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”

This exchange left me wondering: Why do we work so hard to save time only to squander it on tasks that don’t truly matter? As leaders, we chase efficiency gains, automate processes, and free up time for our teams. But then what? How often do we use that time to slow down, reflect, and connect?

I believe this is where we miss the mark. We’re so focused on running faster that we forget to ask if we’re running in the right direction.

Imagine a tennis player jumping from match to match without pause—no breaks, no reflection, no analysis of their performance, no physical or mental recovery, and no time to think about their strategy. Worse, they never stop to ask themselves why they’re playing tennis in the first place.

This is what we’ve turned work into: an endless series of matches, powered by tools designed to make us faster and more precise, but devoid of soul.

It’s time to rethink this. Slowing down isn’t about inefficiency; it’s about intention. Reflection isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity. Recovery isn’t indulgence; it’s preparation for peak performance.

So here’s my challenge to you, whether you’re a sales leader, a team member, or simply someone navigating this whirlwind world: Take time. Not to do more, but to think more. Not to achieve more, but to understand better. Ask yourself: Why am I doing what I’m doing? How can I do it better—not just for the numbers, but for the people involved?

Because taking time is not equal to wasting time. Sometimes, it’s the most productive thing you can do.