Time

We all have often heard that time does not stop for anyone. Everyone has the same 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. Time does not discriminate. Time is an equalizer.

As a leader, it is very critical to utilize your working day so that you can perform your job to its fullest. The concept of time in the West is firm while in India is fluid. We believe in multiple lives and hence do not want to accomplish everything now. While the West does not believe in life after death and thus want to achieve everything in this life itself.

So a lot of Indian managers take that same fluidity and extrapolate it till it becomes a way of life. It is ok to arrive between 9 am and 10 am to work. I can take as many smoke breaks and as many coffee breaks as I need. It is ok to stretch my lunch break beyond the stipulated time and of course, it is ok to leave anytime after 5 pm whether I have clocked 8 hours or not. After all, today we are connected 24/7 and are available anytime, which is the new excuse.

We can all agree that the Western world is a lot more connected than India and yet I have seen people come in by 8 am and lead an extremely punctual and disciplined work life. The meetings always start on time and end on time. Their calendars are actually used. We have the uncanny ability to take the opposite person's time for granted. We assume it is ok to arrive late, TII (This Is India), "yahaan chalta hai".

The elasticity of time has been beaten to death in India. I have been both the victim and sometimes the victor when it comes to torturing time to suit needs. Many times I have had to wait for hours for a meeting despite arriving on time. And I have also made people wait - guilty as charged. What should be the right way? How can we as Indians overcome the lethargy of constant procrastination?

It starts with discipline and ends with respect. In one of my previous posts, I speak of discipline being key in forming a habit. It needs to be extended to respecting both yourself, your work colleagues, and your family. As with each minute which is delayed, is a minute which is lost and it definitely a minute which is taking over someone else's time. Being able to arrive on time is a start. Be it at work or for a meeting. As Indigo Airlines very famously put it, "On Time is a Wonderful Thing"! The battle is 50% won. The snowball effect has been stopped and you will not be chasing trying to catch up on the day. Good managers when found getting lost in the day will sacrifice their personal time such as lunch and coffee breaks or family time by leaving late from work. The poorer managers will just push everything that was not accomplished to the next day leading to an even bigger snowball. But does it matter? "Sab Chalta Hai"!

Western work culture is direct. Straight like an arrow. They will tell you on your face and move on with life. In the East, we work a lot with the heart, emotions, and believe in saving face for the people. We will never confront and always try to find a middle ground. And in doing so often lose precious time. Indian managers have grown up in the East but want to emulate the Western mindset and therein lies the irony.

So how does an Indian manager overcome the fluidity of time? Here are some thoughts which I believe in and practice.

1. If you are unable to finish your daily tasks in 8 hours, you are inefficient.
2. Arriving on time is equal to arriving 5 minutes before. Traffic is a state of mind or an excuse for the weak.
3. If you do not have an agenda for the meeting then you do not belong there. No matter who calls for the meeting, every attendee needs a take away else we are wasting collective time.
4. If you respect your time, be it lunch, coffee breaks, or personal time off then you will respect everyone else's. Many times people do not take adequate time off and believe that they are hardworking, but I believe that they are overworking.
5. Like arriving on time is important, leaving on time is even more. Be it a meeting getting done as planned or leaving work at the end of the day, all are very crucial for you to start afresh the next day.
6. Exceptions are allowed, but exceptions should not become the rule.
7. If your day is getting ahead of you, it is time for a reset. Clear the rest of the day and reschedule everything on your calendar. Work on the backlog and come back with renewed vigor tomorrow.
8. Decisions need to be taken. An organization with a hierarchy will only move forward if there is a decision. Many times leaders are stuck and do not know the answer and that is perfectly fine. Yet, taking time to figure out things is also a decision. You must make a decision.

If you want to ape the West then forget about life after death and work like there is no tomorrow. Only then will be producing Jobs, Bezos, Gates, and Musk from India. There is always a new day but it will bring its own sets of challenges. Like today's newspaper is forgotten tomorrow, your yesterday will never come back. So instead of looking at what tomorrow has in store for us, let us make the most of today.