Hip Hop Wisdom Lesson #16: Hurry Up and Wait

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, ‘Hurry Up and Wait’ is an idiom that is “used to describe a situation in which one is forced to spend a lot of time waiting.” However, in this example, let’s look at the phrase a little differently. At some point in my life, I used to work for a general contractor that used the term quite often. And the way he used it was more in line with killing any opportunity for procrastination. Basically he was saying, let’s get this job done and get the money. We got paid by the project, not the hour.

In his mind, there was no need to milk the clock because once a specific project was complete, he believed there was a bigger project that paid more money on the horizon. And to be honest, the majority of time he was right. Even more so, he already had gigs in the queue and wanted a cushion of time in between to prevent burnout. Then again, at times, those waiting periods were used to prepare for the next job or to pick up small projects that could be completed in a day or two.

Making the best use of time was his main goal. So if he told me to meet him at a job site, followed by ‘hurry up and wait’, I knew what time it was. That means the client is satisfied with the progress of the project and we can start wrapping this bad boy up. My job was to get the site as clean as possible before he arrived, then when he got there, we’d knock out any remaining tasks and prepare for the final walk through with the client. Also, I started to notice, on some jobs, he’d get bonuses for completing the project early.

Clearly this man I used to work for was a go-getter and self starter. Yet, he did it with grace and patience. He never made any of his employees feel rushed and he steered clear of micromanagement. And if coaching was necessary, he took his time to give a hands on approach before going back to doing what bosses do. Communication was always clear and he welcomed questions with open arms.

Procrastination is the antithesis of productivity. Be proactive and do the things that need to be done in a timely manner. From there, move on to the next task and repeat. Try to give yourself a break or cushion in between tasks to prevent fatigue while still remaining on track to meet the deadline. You never know when timelines get moved up. So always be honest with yourself and your clients when giving updates on projects. And when you think you’re finished, go over the details of your project with a fine toothed comb. Minimize any potential adjustments or fixes because the recipient is looking for something wrong in their eyes.

In this topic of discussion, ‘hurry up and wait’ means to get ahead of the curve and stay there. The following practices are suggestions that may help you do just that:

• Pay bills ahead of time when you can

• Once you receive an assignment, start on it right away

• Plan to arrive at your destinations early

• Maintain good hygiene and physical appearance

• Research new trends and advancements

• Journal daily

• Know what your competition is doing

• Keep your home and vehicles free of clutter

• Brainstorm ways to improve yourself

• Join a professional or trade association