This is probably one of the most challenging things you’ll come across in your career. Usually, you’re fast OR accurate.

The people who truly rise to the top are the ones who can master both. It doesn’t matter if you’re accurate if you’re always late with the presentation. And it doesn’t matter if you’re fast if your work has errors. So how to deal?

If you’re one of those people who are always accurate, but slow, consider:

• Work backwards from your due date. What’s making you late? Is it that you need people to sign off? Is it because you’re relying on others for information?  Figure out what it is, and mitigate the risk either by giving people earlier deadlines, or being clearer when you need sign off by. Too often I get emails to look at something but without a deadline.
• Are you spending time on details that don’t matter? You need to know when you’re at enough.

If you’re one of those people who are fast, but make mistakes, consider:

• Slowing down. Most errors in life get made because we rush (we run the light, we try to do too many things at once).
• Have someone else look at your work. Second set of eyes always helps.
• It’s not a race: it’s more important for your work to be accurate. There’s nothing worse than the multiple emails with the title “Use this one instead.”

Most importantly, next time you have to submit something, keep score. Were you on time? Did you make errors? And try to do better the next time.