Doubling the distance does not double the time.
⚠ The standard is built for safety and accuracy
You may have noticed the standard includes SLIDE and RE-GRASP — steps you could technically skip on the floor. They're there on purpose. The standard gives you time to handle the box safely and accurately. Skipping them is faster in the moment — but it leads to dropped boxes, strained backs, and damaged product. The standard isn't pushing you to rush. It's giving you time to do the job right.
Why most people overestimate
Our brain stretches the whole task with the distance. We feel the longer walk and unconsciously add time to every step — even though obtain, slide, lift, and place don't change. The standard isolates what actually changes. Intuition lumps it all together.
The standard protects you
SLIDE and RE-GRASP exist because handling a box safely takes time. The standard accounts for that time. If a coach asks why you're "slow," it's not because the standard is unforgiving — it's usually because a different method or knowledge gap is in the way.
What this means for coaching
When an operator pushes back on a standard, don't defend the number. Walk the task with them, step by step. Show what scales with distance and what doesn't. Show what's there for safety. The math becomes a shared conversation — not an authority call.
Frequency is the hero
Same pattern shows up everywhere. Distance, height, weight, case count — they change the frequency of certain steps. Not the time of every step. Spotting which is which is the core skill of reading a standard.
