Time...its not all relative

We consider time a constant that passes by year, month, day, hour and second.  Time occurs and we all live within its confines.   The reality is time is flexible and controllable.  You probably are saying to yourself either the author of this post is disillusion or just out of touch with physics.  While I do consider time does appear to most just to pass...... I like Einstein postulate it is not a constant.  It is all about our point of reference to the world and others that defines our own sense of time. Most consider time a measure of distance to the past I suggest time alone, without the presence of perspective and point of reference, does an inadequate job defining our use of this most valuable resource. 

Let’s first consider the scale of time and space

The observable universe is approximately 90 billion light-years in diameter with 100 billion galaxies’ each with 100 to 1000 billion stars surrounded by trillions and trillions of planets.  Our own Milky Way Galaxy (remember only one of 100 billion galaxies) contains an estimate of 400 billion stars.

Let me break it down into more simple terms, our home, the Milky Way Galaxy contains approximately 10 thousand stars for every grain of sand on earth. Most are familiar with the SETI organization (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) and many of us may have at one time had a screen saver crunching data files sent from radio telescopes. The reality is SETI currently having access to a total of 3,918,316 processors, by far the worlds largest array of computing in the world, have over the coarse of 30 years analyzed data the equivalent of one glass of water taken from the earths oceans when considering the vastness of the universe.

 I share the scale of the bigger universe not to diminish your importance, quite the contrary, the concept of time and space is only relevant when put into ones perspective. Let me share a few insights I have developed.

The now is only destine to be the past

In our careers time changes and the most observant understand time, while considered constant, moves differently depending on how we interact within its confines.  You may need to think about that statement for a while to appreciate its reality so let me explain.

When early in a career most think of time from a different perspective than latter in a career. I have coached many employees that see time as the last interaction they had with management. When things go well they feel great and motivated and when things go poorly they have a way of contextualize this as their own current value.  The reality of time is much different and dependent on perspective. Our value to our boss, our team or company is gauged across multiple interactions, tasks and goals.  I share with all employees that one of the worse feelings is leaving on a Friday afternoon only to spend a weekend focused on one’s own insecurities.  As a leader and a human being I take an active interest in the wellbeing of my staff, when I detect a member unsure of their standing I actively reach out and call regardless of time. I have had many insightful interactions on a late Friday night or Saturday afternoon reassuring the importance of an employee’s contribution or in some instances discussing what needs to change.

Do you know the current state of your employees?

Schr?dinger's cat is a thought experiment, sometimes described as a paradox, devised by Austrian physicist Erwin Schr?dinger in 1935. It illustrates what he saw as the problem of quantum mechanics applied to everyday objects. The scenario presents a cat that may be simultaneously both alive and dead, a state known as a quantum superposition, as a result of being linked to a random subatomic event that may or may not occur. The reality is until one observes the cat both outcomes exist and do not exist.  In the context of a leader until you take an active role in observing where your employees are in terms of their own situation and context you can only guess.  This is the active nature of managing people many leaders tend to overlook.

Time is dependent on reference and perspective

The overall insight I hope to share is that time is measured in one’s own perspective or field of view. It exists and moves differently from one individual to another.  The concept of time in the context of space appears insignificant from our planet earth however I suggest that this is not the case.  While we are all afforded a finite amount of this precious resource, it is not only how you use your own time, it is how you use it within the interactions of others.  Your ability to share, mentor and coach makes the difference between ones extinction and longevity.

Take time, be human, teach and share the knowledge you have developed as most it has come from others.

I wrote this post after thinking on a message I received from a reader of my last post Organizations & the First Law of Thermodynamics. To that individual focus on your time and energy, it is difficult imagining how one could influence markets and commodities and as I said, what goes up, tends to go down, and then tends to go back up. C.D -what you make of your own time should never be viewed as a commodity as it is precious and valuable.

As always I appreciate your comments. If you find this insightful I would ask  to please like and/or share this post for the benefit and greater understanding for others.

Thanks,

Kevin