Got told I was 'too slow' during a motherboard swap. Changed my whole approach.

About six months ago, I was swapping a motherboard in a Dell Optiplex for a client downtown. An older tech named Jim watched me work and said I was moving too careful. He told me to stop treating every screw like it was made of glass. He said I needed to trust my hands more and just get the job done. At first I felt defensive, but then I realized he was right. I was spending too much time double checking every tiny thing. Now I work faster but still double check after the whole thing is together. Any other techs here get feedback that actually improved their speed without messing up quality?

3 comments

3 Comments

riverdavis15d ago

Funny how slowing down to learn speed is the real trick nobody talks about.

owens.anthony15d ago

You know @riverdavis, that reminds me - my buddy Marcus spent like 20 minutes trying to line up a single mobo tray screw once. His old boss just took the screwdriver out of his hand and did it in five seconds. Said "feel it, don't think it." Marcus started moving way faster after that.

ivanbell14d ago

Man, that Jim sounds like a real old school tech. @riverdavis you hit it right on the head, slowing down to learn speed is the real trick. I used to waste time fussing over every single cable tie until a buddy showed me to just go by feel. Now I can swap a board in 15 minutes flat without any broken clips or bent pins. Best piece of advice I ever got.