The Value of Time- 1st of 2
First in Series
During the past year I was granted a tremendous gift by my employer —TIME. I had asked for and received a one-year leave of absence from the Darden School at the University of Virginia (UVA) to spend a year at the Harvard Business School. As a result of this temporary change, my typical teaching commitment was reduced by 75 percent, administrative responsibilities were eliminated altogether, and volunteer and community service work was put on hold. I even intentionally cut back on consulting and speaking engagements. The sum of these changes added hours to my day, days to my weeks, and weeks to my months over the course of the year.
So what did I do with all of this time? I reconnected. I reconnected with the ideas and questions that have sparked my curiosity and drove me initially into a career in academia. I reconnected with faculty colleagues across the globe, staff members, students, and corporate executives. Doing so ultimately served to reinforce why I do what I do—disseminate knowledge through teaching, research, and consulting, and develop leadership skills in people who are currently, or who will be, leading our great institutions in the public and private sectors.
I also wrote a book, Leading Under Pressure: From Surviving to Thriving Before, During, and After a Crisis. Being relatively unencumbered with competing workplace demands, my brain seemed to flow freely with concepts, ideas, stories, and examples. It was as if the book wrote itself! It seems strange looking back that I initially worried that I might squander the year because there was simply not enough structure, demands , or deadlines on me to keep me motivated on a day-to-day basis. But not only was I absolutely productive, perhaps even more important, during the year I gained a competence and confidence in my competence that is now paying dividends for my current employer.
Having returned to UVA and now back full-time in my teaching capacity I realize that I am a much different teacher, scholar, speaker, and consultant than before my sabbatical. I more easily and readily depart from scripted teaching plans or speeches and am more willing to improvise with audiences rather than force material. I am more facile at thinking on my feet and have become more comfortable with sharing my expertise.
I recognize that academia is a unique industry, and that most people do not have the opportunity to take a leave of absence, much less spend a year working for a competitor. Yet more and more companies are beginning to recognize the benefit of time in whatever form it takes. Several years ago I worked on a consulting project for Pitney Bowes. The essence of the project was to examine employee “downtime.” Specifically the firm wanted to know the effects of electronic communication and other technologies (cell phone, texting, social networking sites, and more) on employees’ productivity. What we found was that employees were certainly busier, but the busyness did not necessarily translate into productive output for the firm. The time spent using technology replaces time spent in thinking and reflection—the true drivers of problem solving and decision making. Reacting to events has replaced thoughtful and strategic planning. And because information is so readily available to customers, shareholders, and analysts, doing what is fast and what will produce immediate results replaces doing what is right for the organization in the long run. Where is the leadership in that?