Let me be honest with you.
Sometimes, your company’s biggest delay is not systems, not workload, not even sabotage.
It’s fingernails.
Yes, fingernails.
���� The One-Handed Typist Chronicles
Last week, one of my managers took over an hour to type a one-page document.
I thought maybe she was deep in thought… or balancing complex figures… or maybe crafting poetry.
So, I walked over to her desk—just to check in.
And what did I see?
She was typing with one hand.
Slowly.
Delicately.
Because her acrylic nails were longer than the entire keyboard.
At that moment, I realized: she was a great accountant—but typing was her enemy.
So I did what any curious leader does…
I went on a Management By Walking Around (MBWA) mission.
���� MBWA: The Workplace Reality Show
I walked into departments like a surprise guest on Big Brother Africa.
What I saw?
Unbelievable.
�� One guy typing with two fingers like he was texting a crush.
�� Another lady smashing the keyboard like she was playing whack-a-mole.
�� Someone else looking at the keyboard like it owed them money.
And suddenly, it all made sense.
The reason reports delay.
The reason emails are incomplete.
The reason nothing is “urgent” unless it’s printed and walked over by hand.
It’s not because people are lazy.
It’s because some of them never learned how to type.
���� Back in Our Day…
We had Pitman classes.
We had typewriters that sounded like gunshots.
We used to brag about typing 60 words per minute like we were Usain Bolt with fingers.
You couldn’t graduate from anything without knowing where the “Shift” key was.
But now?
We assume everyone just knows how to type, use Zoom, and operate Word.
Big mistake. HUGE.
�� Zoom Gone Wrong
One day, I was in a Zoom meeting with a UK-based client.
All was going well.
I told my former PA, “Please extend the Zoom session.”
What did she do?
She ended the entire meeting.
Click. Boom. The End.
I asked her what happened.
She looked at me like a child caught in a sweet jar and whispered:
“Boss, I don’t know how to operate Zoom.”
This is someone with two degrees and a LinkedIn profile longer than my tax bill.
But she couldn’t handle a basic video call.
����♂️ The Workplace Is Full of Soft Skill Blackouts
Many employees today know:
● How to dress for the job
● How to smile during interviews
● How to send a PDF CV with 5 references
But ask them to:
● Bold a heading in Word? Panic.
● Share a Google Doc? Tears.
● Format a spreadsheet? Emergency meeting with IT.
Some are writing full reports in the “Notes” app on their iPhones.
Some are saving company contracts as “Final_final_use_this_one_PLEASE.pdf”
Some don’t know the difference between:
Reply and Reply All (you know the pain).
�� It’s the Small Things That Hurt the Most
You want fast reports?
Make sure your team can type.
You want efficiency?
Make sure they can use a mouse.
You want excellence?
Train them on the basics.
Not everyone who has a laptop knows how to use it.
��️ Fix the Foundation First
Before you install CRMs and fancy project management tools…
Before you shout about “KPIs” and “strategy”…
Please ask yourself:
Can the team type?
Do they know Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V?
Can they even open Zoom without ending the meeting?
Because sometimes, it’s not a leadership problem.
It’s a typing speed problem.
�� Final Word
So next time work is delayed…
Don’t just blame systems.
Don’t just fire people.
Check the basics.
Your workplace might not need new staff.
It might just need… a keyboard tutorial.
�� Because in today’s world of deadlines and dashboards,
Typing slowly is the new version of “I don’t know what I’m doing.”
Let’s fix it—one keystroke at a time
