This sense of urgency is what I'd really like to address.
Managing time as a fifth resource
As leaders, we're all used to thinking about these four kinds of resources - money, people, information, and physical infrastructure. I'd like to champion adding "time" as a fifth resource whose bottom line must be managed and leveraged for transformational change.
Time is a fifth resource whose bottom line must be managed and leveraged for transformational change.
Believe me, I realize an organization can have infinite needs - customers demand better service, outside stakeholders demand that their concerns be addressed, funders want better results at lower costs, and internal people and issues need leadership attention. In our work, I see many a public sector leaders respond to that infinite need by just pouring on more time. They work later and longer hours. Others do as well. Timelines are lengthened. Because many eyes are on the public's work, they wait to move forward until they are sure things have been done right. I know. I did the same.
But, I've changed. Personally, I now view 'lack of time' as a friend, not an enemy - and assess every "expenditure" for the value it did or did not add to the lives of the citizens we all serve. We cannot afford to think, "That meeting was a complete waste of time" and then do nothing about it.
In some client engagements, my partners and I have created project dashboards that include a visual 'time accumulator' akin to a speedometer on your car's dashboard. We want our clients and all project staff to watch the use of time - and help assess if the time put into the effort is being used to leverage the best results.
In other engagements, we've helped clients name their biggest 'time-munchers.' (Think Pac-man). This needn't involve a scientific time and motion study. People know what takes up their time. We then help them either stop or negotiate a halt to those things that consume time, but do not contribute strategic value.
Using time-boxes to leverage transformational change.
In January, 2002, I was facilitating a 'tollgate' discussion about project progress with a client team. A tollgate is a PSG term for pushing the pause button long enough to chart progress, adjust plans, and re-energize implementation efforts. (After all, transformational change is hard. It takes a 'toll' on those involved. Thus, a tollgate is used to celebrate progress, and look to what lies ahead on the critical path.)
Most of the discussion during this particular tollgate was a description of activities or tasks accomplished, and the need for more time. "We met with so and so this week. We still need to do such and such." This went on for some time before my client said, "This is all well and good. But, when are the people we are here to serve going to notice a difference in the services they receive?"
This KEY question caused the conversation to pivot 180 degrees. The team rose to her challenge. They scrapped what they had come to say. Rather, each milestone date became a date by which their customers were going to notice something beyond the status quo. In this case, they decided:
By March 15, 2002:
- Older adults in the pilot areas will have at least 2 new service options available to them, and these community resource partners will be ready to serve them.
- Customers experiencing sight loss will be able to learn about Self Sufficiency services from at least one new source: the eye examiners at the Division of Motor Vehicles.
By May 15, 2002:
- Senior linkage line will be fielding calls in the pilot areas. It will know where to refer and what to do with a call about vision loss.
I have given a name to the time between these mileposts -- I call them 'time-boxes.' Once a time-box is set, the time is held constant. Rather than adjusting time, the focus becomes how to deliver the most value you can in that time. This approach has kindled incredible energy inside this team!
It reminds me of a story my partner, Bob Stone, tells of his last few years with the National Performance Review. When NPR staff started wondering about what kind of real impact they could have, he says they all became electrified through a simple calculation of the number of days they had: "We calculated that we had exactly 880 days to change government forever. The next day we would have 879 days. Our computer expert arranged for the startup screen on every computer at NPR to display, every morning, exactly how many days we had left to change government forever. Doing this helped us all recommit to our big dream of reinventing government."
How many days do you have left?
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