The Art of Patience: Why Instant Gratification is Killing Your Business Success

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Patience died somewhere between the invention of the microwave and the rise of same-day delivery. And frankly, it's costing Australian businesses more than we're willing to admit.

I've been watching this trend for nearly two decades now, starting back when I was cutting my teeth in corporate Melbourne. Back then, if you wanted something done, you planned it six months out. Now? Blokes are having meltdowns because their coffee order takes three minutes instead of two.

But here's the thing everyone's missing: patience isn't just about waiting. It's about strategic thinking. And strategic thinking is what separates successful businesses from the ones that crash and burn after their first viral TikTok moment.

The Rush to Nowhere Fast

Take recruitment, for instance. I've watched companies hire the first candidate who walks through the door because they "needed someone yesterday." Then they wonder why their staff turnover looks like a revolving door at David Jones during Boxing Day sales.

Smart businesses - the ones that actually last - they take time. They interview properly. They check references that aren't just mates from the pub. They understand that hiring the right person takes patience, but firing the wrong person takes longer.

I learned this the hard way back in 2019. Had a client, manufacturing business in Western Sydney, insisted we fast-track their supervisor training program because they were "bleeding talent." So we compressed what should've been a three-month program into six weeks.

Disaster. Complete disaster.

The supervisors felt overwhelmed, the training wasn't properly absorbed, and within two months they were back to square one. Only this time they'd wasted $45,000 and damaged team morale in the process.

The Myth of Instant Everything

Here's where I'm going to upset some people: instant gratification isn't always bad. Sometimes quick decisions save businesses. But the problem is we've lost the ability to distinguish between what needs speed and what needs patience.

Customer service? Speed matters. A client calls with a problem, you don't leave them hanging for three days while you "strategise."

But building company culture? That's a marathon, not a sprint. And trying to rush it is like trying to force-ripen avocados in the microwave. Technically possible, but the results are pretty ordinary.

I see this constantly with startups in Brisbane. They want to scale from zero to hero in six months because some tech entrepreneur on LinkedIn said it was possible. Then they wonder why their customer retention is shocking and their staff burn out faster than a cheap barbecue at a family reunion.

The Patience Paradox in Leadership

Leadership development is where patience really shows its value. And this is controversial, but I reckon we're doing it all wrong in Australia.

We promote people into management roles because they're good at their job, then expect them to magically develop people skills overnight. Then we send them on a two-day leadership course and wonder why nothing changes.

Real leadership development takes time. Years, actually. You need to practice, make mistakes, get feedback, try again. But most companies aren't willing to invest that time because shareholders want results this quarter, not next year.

Qantas - and I'm a fan of how they've handled their recent challenges - they get this. Their leadership development programs run for 18 months minimum. They understand that creating leaders who can handle crisis situations (and let's face it, we've had a few lately) requires patience and proper investment.

When Patience Pays Off

The companies that embrace patience - properly embrace it, not just pay lip service to it - they consistently outperform their impatient competitors.

Research from McKinsey shows that 67% of companies that invest in long-term employee development see higher profitability within three years. But here's the kicker - most Australian businesses won't even commit to three-month development programs.

I've got a client in Perth, mining services company, they've been running the same mentorship program for eight years. Eight years! Their staff retention is 94%, their internal promotion rate is 78%, and their profit margins are consistently 15% above industry average.

But when they started? First two years showed minimal improvement. The CEO got pressure from the board to scrap it. Good thing he didn't listen.

This is where patience becomes competitive advantage. While your competitors are chasing quick fixes and silver bullets, you're building something sustainable.

The Australian Impatience Problem

We've got a particular problem here in Australia with patience, and I think it stems from our cultural tendency to "just get on with it." That's generally a strength, but it becomes a weakness when we apply it to everything.

Some things should be rushed. Emergency responses, customer complaints, safety issues. But strategic planning? Team building? Skills development? These things need time to marinate.

I was working with a team in Adelaide last year - hospitality group - and their general manager kept interrupting our training sessions to deal with "urgent" issues. Most of these "urgent" issues were actually routine problems that could've waited two hours.

The result? Training sessions that should've been transformative became fragmented and ineffective. The team didn't gel, the learning objectives weren't met, and six months later they were dealing with the same cultural issues we were trying to address.

Building Your Patience Muscle

Patience, like any skill, can be developed. But - and this might surprise you - I don't think meditation and mindfulness apps are the answer for most business leaders.

Instead, try this: for one month, delay one decision per day by 24 hours. Not emergency decisions, but the routine ones. Hiring choices, vendor selections, project approvals. Sleep on it.

You'll start noticing patterns. How many times you would've made a different choice with more time. How often that "urgent" decision really wasn't.

Another technique I recommend (and this one's saved me countless headaches): when someone asks for an immediate decision, ask them what happens if we wait 48 hours. Half the time, they'll admit nothing catastrophic will occur.

The Cost of Impatience

Impatience is expensive. Really expensive.

Quick hiring decisions cost Australian businesses an estimated $3.2 billion annually in recruitment and retraining costs. Rushed product launches result in recalls and reputation damage. Hasty vendor selections lead to contract disputes and service failures.

But the biggest cost is opportunity cost. While you're busy fixing the problems created by impatient decisions, your patient competitors are building market share, developing better products, and creating stronger teams.

The Patience Dividend

Companies that master strategic patience don't just avoid problems - they create significant advantages.

They have deeper customer relationships because they take time to understand real needs rather than pushing quick sales. Their employees are more engaged because development happens gradually and sustainably. Their products are more refined because they resist the urge to rush to market.

JB Hi-Fi is a perfect example. While other retailers panic about online competition and constantly pivot strategies, they've patiently built their omnichannel approach over several years. No dramatic announcements, no revolutionary changes. Just steady, patient improvement.

Result? They're one of the few physical retailers consistently growing market share.

Making Patience Practical

Here's the thing about patience in business - it's not about being slow. It's about being deliberate.

Deliberate about which decisions need speed and which need time. Deliberate about investing in long-term capability rather than short-term fixes. Deliberate about building systems that can handle rapid response when it's actually needed.

The most successful leaders I know - and I'm talking about people running $50+ million operations - they've learned to differentiate between genuine urgency and manufactured urgency.

Genuine urgency: safety issues, legal compliance, customer crises.

Manufactured urgency: most everything else.

Final Thoughts

The art of patience isn't about slowing down your business. It's about speeding up the right things and slowing down the wrong things.

In a world obsessed with instant everything, patience becomes your competitive advantage. While everyone else is making hasty decisions they'll regret later, you're building something that lasts.

And that's worth waiting for.

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