Take Care of the Minutes & Watch the Hours Fly

“I recommend to you to take care of the minutes; for hours will take care of themselves.”

Philip Dormer Stanhope (1694 – 1773), 4th Earl of Chesterfield, British statesman and man of letters

“Time is a paradox for everyone. It’s an absolute; it’s perfectly equal for everyone… same days in a month, hours in a day, and minutes in an hour. Yet time seems to work better for some, and be more abundant for others. Those with seemingly more time have learned how to manage the allocation of their assets around time.”*

I agree with the above, but I think it is interesting to think about the role of time during a large scale organizational change. It is important to plan and sequence key events / milestones [the rational perspective], but you cannot plan when or how people in the organization are going to get on board [the emotional perspective]. And, it is that combination of rational and emotional that leads to full engagement and ownership.

Yes, moments count throughout an organizational change. Focus on the impact you are attempting to make and the engagement you are seeking from your stakeholders. Recognize and adjust to your stakeholders’ – and your – strengths, weaknesses, concerns and perceptions. Take care of and be engaged in the those minutes; then, watch the hours fly. Have fun!

*Adapted from www.justsell.com