Children at home may be characterized by the way they run errands, whether conveying a message on foot, buying from the market, or fetching water from a stream. Adults know the character traits of each child, their flairs and flaws and who best fits a chore at hand. Between a child who is fond of quick fixes and one better known for quality over speed, who is the favorite?

An errand largely run with greater attention to speed in service delivery may compromise quality and prove to be costly to industry. Elders are not simply impressed by how quickly an errand is run, but also by the quality of job execution. How quickly a messenger has returned is often not the priority.

While speed is generally important in the performance of chores, this should be carefully blended with quality of service. A good brain with a passion for due diligence is a greater asset than the swift-footed, who may simply compromise quality.