From the Ask Tom Mailbag –

Question:
How freely do you explain Time Span (based on the research of Elliott Jaques) throughout the organization?

Response:
Time Span is as natural as behavior.

All behavior is goal directed. The goal may be to pursue a dream, or to relieve boredom, but all behavior is goal directed.

If we can understand a goal in its simplest form, a “what, by when,” we can see Time Span as a natural part of all behavior, and a natural part of every discussion about behavior.

“I am going to the store.”

“What time do you plan to return?”

So, I am curious. Why the question? Is there some part of Time Span that you feel uncomfortable talking about? Ah, there’s the rub. There IS something that makes you uncomfortable.

It has to do with labels.

There are many judgments that are within our authority, as managers, to make. As a manager, is it within your authority –

• to determine what tasks need to be completed?
• to determine a reasonable amount of time for the task to be completed?
• to assess the effectiveness of the team member in completing the task?

The answer is, yes.

But, it is NOT within your authority to tell Jim (or Fred or Julie) that you have judged their maximum capability to be Stratum I. There are several reasons (in no particular order) –

• You might be wrong.
• Your incorrect assumption might become a destructive permanent label.
• As a manager, you have no method to collect the data, to do the analysis, to make that judgment.

Elliott was very careful and specific in his language. As a manager, it is within your authority to assess the effectiveness of the team member in completing the task. Assessing effectiveness in completing a task is much different than judging the maximum capability of an individual.

Elliott made a clear distinction between maximum capability and applied capability. As managers, we are not equipped to judge maximum capability. Yet, as managers, we can observe applied capability. The reason we can see applied capability is, there is evidence of the work product. As managers, we can know the intention of the goal, the circumstances of the work environment, and the behavior of the team member engaged in the task. We can see applied capability.

And applied capability may be far different from maximum capability. I may have the capability to complete the task, but not the skill. I may have the capability and the skill, but not the interest. If I am not interested, you will never see my maximum capability.

On the positive side, as my manager, it is incumbent on you to help me discover my potential (the difference between maximum capability and applied capability), to discover those elements, like training, education and placing me in a role where I value the work. When those elements line up, I will be more effective in the role I play. And you will see job satisfaction go up, with no need for a motivational speaker.

Yes, Time Span is a natural part of every conversation about goals.

“A leader is someone who gets things done,” Stephanie responded. “At my church, whenever there is a project that needs to get done, people scatter. They all have excuses. They don’t have enough time. They are too busy. They don’t know how. So, the same one or two people eventually get asked to run the project.

“But when I look at those people, they are busier than anyone else. They always have more on their plate than the next person, yet somehow, they always get the job done. And they seem to get it done with little effort, even though they probably have less time to devote to the project than anyone else.”

“So, what do you think is the difference?” I asked.

“I don’t know. I mean everyone seems to want to help out, but some people just do it. There is a big difference between wanting to get something done, and actually doing it.”

“My question is still on the table,” I said. “What is the difference? What are the factors that make it so?”

“I don’t understand,” Roger shook his head. “If Brad would just start earlier on these longer projects, things would be under control, and he wouldn’t be cutting unnecessary corners which compromise project quality.”

“Why do you think he procrastinates until the end?” I asked.

Roger shook his head. “Because, he cannot see the end until he is two months away. On a project with a nine month deadline, Brad cannot see the end. It is too far in the future. There is so much uncertainty between now and nine months from now, that he cannot see it.”

“So he takes no action?” I pressed.

“Of course, the pressure of the project builds, because now things are getting late, but even that, is not what finally kicks Brad into action. With sixty days to go, Brad can now see the end. And when Brad can see the end, he starts to act. It is frustrating for us, because we saw this nine months ago.

“Everyone has a story. And every story has a beginning, middle and an end. When you listen to someone’s story, you will hear the Time Span of their story. They cannot take action in their story until they see the end of their story.”

“So, how did the audit project get delayed for your ISO re-certification?” I asked.

“I don’t know. You spoke with Olivia, one of our supervisors. Her manager, Brad, is really in charge of that project. And we have had more troubles than just the audit with Brad.”

“Procrastination?” I guessed.

His eyes grew wide and his head began to nod in agreement. Eyebrows furrowed. “Yes. And I have talked to Brad about getting a jump on these longer term projects. He is okay with projects at about 60 days, but anything longer, and he really gets in the weeds. At the end of most projects, you see him power through, working overtime and weekends. When he started here, he looked really dedicated, but as time goes on, I don’t see that, as effective manager behavior.”

“What length project is Brad good at?”

“Two months.”

“And how much time is left before the audit?”

“Two months.”

“What connection can you make from that?”

“Your new supervisor?” I asked.

“Yes,” Stella explained. “Everyone on the interview team agreed this was the best candidate, but it’s been two months now, plenty of time for adjustment and it’s just not working out.”

“And this candidate had worked at this level before?”

“Well, not really, but he said he was ready for it. That’s why he was leaving his old job, not enough challenge in it.”

“This is a supervisor role, what’s the time span of the goals in this role?”

“Nine months,” Stella replied.

“Tell me, what is the longest task?” I pulled out a piece of paper to make some notes.

“It’s scheduling,” she continued. “Some of our equipment is very expensive, difficult to get and difficult to move from one job to the next. It can cost us $15,000 just for the riggers to relocate some of the pieces. So we schedule our logistics about nine months in advance. And when we schedule it, we stick to plan. Too expensive to do otherwise.”

“And your candidate provided evidence of nine month time span work in the past?”

“Evidence? No, but he assured us he was up to the task.”

“My goal is to reduce inventory,” Bruce explained.

“What is the Time Span of your goal?” I asked. “You have to reduce inventory. By how much and by when?”

“Good question. All the managers just got this email from our corporate office. We need to take a hard look and get our inventories down.”

“So, tell me, if you had to reduce your inventory 30 percent by the end of next week, would that be different than if you had to reduce inventory by the end of May?”

Bruce chuckled. “Of course. If we had to reduce inventory by next week, I would put the brakes on hard. Slash pricing and blow this stuff out of here, just some hard nosed, tactical stuff.”

“And what would be your decisions if the Time Span was end of May?”

“Let’s look at the specific decisions, that you have to make today, that will have impact later in the project?” I asked.

Taylor sat back. “Okay. Let’s look at the buy out,” he started. “In the buy out, I have to purchase some large pieces of equipment that will be installed. I have to work with our project managers and also with our purchasing guy. Here are some of my decisions that I have to make today, but it may be months before we find out if it was the right decision.

“Will the price of this equipment (to be installed) go up or go down? If I make a commitment now and the price goes up, I am a hero. If I wait to make the purchase later in the project and the price goes up, I am a goat.

“Will the vendor that supplies the equipment still be in business a year from now. I may have to put down some deposit money. But even if we lose the deposit money, the real risk is trying to scramble at the last minute to find an alternate supplier. The costs may have changed and some of this stuff has lead times. If the project gets delayed because we don’t have the equipment on-site to be installed, we may be liable for a delay claim.”

Taylor stopped.

I slowly replied. “When I look at the Time Span of your Goals, I also have to look at the Time Span of your decisions. The Time Span of Discretion.

“Who I am?” Ruben asked, furrowing his brow.

“Yes, who are you?” I insisted. “What is your role?”

“Well, I’m the manager,” he explained. “My role is to manage. It’s my team that actually does the work. I just manage.”

“If all you do is manage, then I have limited use for you,” I pressed. “If all you do is manage, I can get by with a supervisor. What is your work?”

“Well, when my team gets stuck, I help them get unstuck,” Ruben replied, grabbing for any kind of traction.

“And when you get your team unstuck, what do you do, to keep them from getting stuck in the same way again?”

Ruben hesitated, then thoughtfully arrived at a meaningful conclusion. “I look at what we are doing, how we are doing it, the sequence we do it in and think, is this the best way? We might create our own problems simply by the order of the steps we work in. It’s my job to think about that stuff.”

“What tools do you use to think with?” I prompted.

“I don’t know,” Ruben pondered. “I mean, sometimes, I will draw out a flow chart, so I can see things more clearly, you know, boxes and circles and arrows.”

“And when you finish that flow chart, what is that a picture of?”

“Well, it’s the system that we work in, with all the steps and relationships of those steps.”

“And so, what is your work?” I asked, again.

From the Ask Tom mailbag:

Question:
I was in your workshop, about Time Span. Almost overwhelming. I say, almost, because it is grabby stuff. I don’t know if I will see my company the same way, when I go back to work tomorrow. But where do I start?

Response:
The starting place is with yourself, the only person in the world where you have control and authority.

Time Span is grabby, because it resonates with what you feel, as a leader. Time Span is the scientific explanation for what you intuitive observe in the workplace, as a manager. Anthony De Mello calls it Awareness. And this is where you start.

Before you can take action, any form of implementation, take an inventory of where you are. What is your role? Inside your organization, what are your accountabilities?

Before you can effectively evaluate the roles of those around you, you must first discover who you are.