Time
Do you manage time, or does it manage you?
We all know that time is a finite commodity – there is only so much of it.
I have recently been working with an organisation very focused on maximising time and getting the most from every minute – granted they are in manufacturing and every second marks another production target.
What I didn’t like was the feeling of being ‘rushed’ always in ‘hurry-up’ mode. I became curious as to whether they were in control or whether ‘time’ was?
I found myself wanting to rebel and take more time. Time to really think and question what was being discussed.
I noticed that the person I was speaking with was so focussed on goals and tasks, that any questions outside of this remit were met with some confusion and discomfort – they seemed to be in some way mechanical, disconnected from themselves, caught up in only doing, not being.
The truth lies in balance. Every leader needs to be able flex between focussing on attaining the next goal, taking time to consider whether it is in fact the right goal, and whether it is going in the right direction.
I am a great advocate of making time to take time, and offer leaders advice about being in the now – experiencing a quality of time that can make a second feel like an oasis.
The new going fast is going slow!
Annie.