Slow and steady

IT STRUCK me over the last couple of weeks on my travels, passing through a few places, that the world has many different time zones. By this, I don’t mean the time zones you will all be familiar with, such as one hour ahead for Paris or a fair few hours behind for Las Vegas, depending on where you travel laterally around the globe. I mean that different parts of the world operate at different speeds.

On my trip I passed through London. The English capital is unsurprisingly a very speedy time zone in which days pass in what seems like minutes and you never have enough time to get everything done. There is always something to look at on every corner and a need to watch where you are going at all times so you don’t bump into someone. London can feel stressful, hectic and like a whirlwind of experiences. This is of course the attraction as well. The buzz of the metropolis and the energy you feel when surrounded by so many people. Yet you can easily understand how people tire of the city and often move out as they get older, to slower environments.

Next, I stopped off in Stockholm. Now this is Sweden’s capital city yet it operates at a much slower pace than London. I witnessed empty escalators at rush hour in the rail hubs and the pavements had ample space for everyone to pass some distance apart. Stockholm hums rather than buzzes. The energy is enough to wake you up and keep you on your toes, yet you have much more time to get out of the way if someone is coming in the opposite direction.

My final destination was a friend’s cabin, a few miles away from a small rural village in the currently very snowy region of Ljungdalen in the Swedish mountains. Here, time stood still. Our many activities were determined by the weather alone and we were at the mercy of the snow, wind and sunshine. The only way to tell if I spent three months there or just five days is by checking my calendar. Time passed so slowly yet in such a nice way that it was an extremely relaxing experience. We were busy yet calm, and as we drove south on the way home past grazing reindeer and moose, it got me thinking.

Guernsey also sits safely in the category of slower-paced locations and I love it that way. Summers always seem restful, joyful and almost endless (as unfortunately do the winters). Time is, a little like in the mountains, dictated by weather, tides and daylight – a more natural way of life. Life does not race away from me at high speed nor do I feel that I am missing something. I have time to get things done, to make time for family and friends and to explore new ideas and environments. At the moment though, it seems we are starting to forget that we are in a delightfully slow time zone and we do this at our peril.

I’ve talked before about how important it is to recognise our strengths and individuality as that is what makes us most attractive as an island and a community as well as a place to do business. Trying to keep up with faster-paced places in the UK, Europe or even in Jersey, won’t do us any favours. We need to play to those strengths. The Bailiwick is a place where you can catch your breath and slow down – and that is a good thing.

So far in 2024 we appear, in Guernsey, to be racing ahead trying to change all manner of things and I am confused as to why we are in such a hurry.

We seem to be debating changes to corporation taxes and education policy again, and we are switching quickly from one topic to another in what feels like a frantic dash to get something done, regardless of whether it’s the right thing.

We have time.

We need to use that time to go back to basics and establish what it is we are trying to achieve and why. Tweaking policies for a quick win not only does not fit with how we operate here but it will generate more work down the line when we come to redesign it all.

It is easy when we look around at other jurisdictions to assume we must run as fast as they do to keep up or to stay relevant but we are relevant and we are where we are. There is much to consider in relation to how we are governed and how to make this more efficient. We also need to urgently consider the role education will play in the future of our little island overall. Both of these key areas will be critical to every element of what we do in the future and how we handle it now is of the utmost importance and not to be rushed. No one cares who comes up with the solutions nor how quickly, only that they are the right solutions for us.

Similarly, I am not in a position to judge the well-reported recent proposals from the Channel Islands Cooperative as I don’t understand the business model well enough. However, as a member, it does seem like a lot of big changes happening all at once with a mixed public response that reflects that. Perhaps this is also too fast for our slow environment?

We need time to digest and process as well as question and challenge changes, no matter the business imperative. I have often found with my own business that the more time I take to work through and discuss changes with clients and the more gradually these changes take place, the better they are received. We all often have different responses when asked questions under pressure as opposed to when we are given more time to respond.

Progress in Guernsey is important and critical but we all need to be on board to make change meaningful. This is not about avoiding change, but rather doing this at our own ‘island’ pace.

I’m reminded of the old Aesop tale of the hare and the tortoise.

Slow and steady wins the race.