Time

Photo credit: Nic McPhee, Creative Commons

My dad was friends with the local watch shop owner in our small town. When I graduated from high school, he bought me one of the early electric quartz watches. That may have started my early relationship with time.

Later, my engineering degree was in project management with a strong emphasis on schedule control. And through the years I worked with and mentored many corporate executives on their time management skills.

Time. It doesn’t change in quantity or pace. And yet different people seem to have very different relationships and reactions to time.

In the end, how we relate to time somehow becomes related to an expression of respect from those around us.

We’ve all known and worked with that person who is perpetually late or tardy for every meeting. At first it becomes a running joke, but in the end, a great deal of resentment grows and people begin to feel used and disrespected. Now, consider when late Larry is not just someone we work with, but someone we work for. Oh, there’s always a legitimate excuse or a logical reason with they’re late, or worse they assume it doesn’t make that much difference, you will still be in the room waiting for him and you’ll get down to business as soon as he arrives. But the reactions of feeling used and disrespected don’t go away just because late Larry is the boss. In fact, it’s actually worse. What kind of leader can late Larry be when the people he’s trying to lead feel disrespected and begin to disrespect Larry as well? Not much. The proper use of time is important. Pay attention.

There’s also a caution for efficient Edith as well. Efficient Edith is always on time, often in place even before the team arrives. Efficient Edith always seems to be on top of things and most of the time seems to be out in front of the general thinking of the company. While these qualities are greatly appreciated in the corporations, Edith needs to proceed with caution as well. Because of Edith’s nature if she makes a request of her staff without specifying an expected response time, the staff always assumes she needs it ASAP. Well, just like the old kids game, crack-the-whip, by the time the request moves down through the organization to where the data and answers can be found, it comes across as “All hands on deck, drop everything you’re doing and get this answer back up to efficient Edith!” Interesting that it ends with almost the same results of people feeling used and disrespected.

Whether you’re a late Larry, efficient Edith or somewhere in between, always respect time, yours and others and set clear expectations for responses.