In the early days of my career (and marriage and life) I wanted to work efficiently. Still do. Mistakenly, I thought that meant to handle each interaction as quickly as possible.
Cut to the bottom line, and each of us could go on our way, equipped with the same information to handle the situation.
I rapidly discovered I had to spend a lot more time after we were “equipped with the same information” mopping up misunderstandings. There was a lot of wasted time, and not just a little heartache over re-doing a task that someone else had already done. If I had taken more time on the front end, the whole situation would have gone more smoothly. It means using the ten units of time wisely.
Every leader I know wants to work efficiently and effectively. For example, each day I make the drive to the office (thirty-five minutes on a good day), I open my app to my office address on my phone to take the quickest route to get there. (It’s rarely, if ever, the same route two days in a row.)
Efficient, right?
But, it doesn’t work that way when leading. An address on a GPS is one input and a singular destination. Working with people and situations and stuff involves a lot more variables. Variables that need to be clear for the communication (and the expectation) to be clear. There is a lot more involved and a lot more at stake.
I’m guessing when you walk to the front door of your house, your mind starts calculating which path requires the fewest footsteps. You want what you do to be excellent, and to take no more steps than are necessary to accomplish it makes you more efficient, which leads to excellence.
Makes sense to me.
The problem comes when you try that same approach with people.
The Ten Units of Time
Look at a project or a plan or personal interaction as ten units of time. My old thinking said: “If I can explain it in three units, then that frees up the remaining seven units to play ping-pong, work on next week’s message, tool around the garage or occupy myself with some other worthwhile cause.”
Why spend fifteen minutes explaining the thing when you can communicate it in five, right?
I came to realize after my “three units of time” of directly addressing the situation, I had to spend the remaining seven units with explanations like, “That’s not what I meant.” “No, I wasn’t thinking that’s how you are, I was merely trying to explain why I didn’t get it done.” Or, “I’m sorry, honey, I didn’t realize you just got off a difficult phone call when I said we need to work on the budget.” You get the idea.
It’s much more efficient to take five units of time saying what you mean and don’t mean, qualifying your words with the empathy you do possess (but didn’t realize its importance). Just a few moments of understanding where the other person is mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically and making sure what you say accounts for these invisible, but very real factors, actually takes less time than splurting the information. It really only takes a few short minutes.
When people read your emails, for example, they are usually looking for “tone”. Since they cannot hear your tone in an email, they have to deduce it from the words you use…typically your first words, first.
Typically when I write an email, I will start blazing words on the electronic page, then I will hit “pause” (mentally). I then insert “tone” at the beginning. For example (this morning) I communicated with a church trustee about getting paperwork signed for the merger the church voted to do yesterday. I typed the necessary logistics, then inserted something like a “Hey (name)! Thanks so much for all your help. Your leadership on this has been invaluable.”
Do you think the recipient feels more encouraged or less? Is he more likely to help, or less likely? Does this help or hinder communication? The same is true of everyone who receives a message…electronic or otherwise…from you today.
So, instead of “cutting to the chase” in three units of time, and spending seven units mopping it up, be more efficient and clarify your heart and intent and your message in five units, and enjoy the increasing relationship (and efficiency) in the other five.
In what areas of your life would using the “Ten Units of Time” help you? Please let me know in the comments below.
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