Many times I hear both business and private clients tell me that time management is a big issue for them. Many times the discussions we have lead to causes of that challenge. Every conversation brings with it the opportunity to resolve the pressures that are placed on them.
A lack of time in the workplace is almost always self-created. Which can be – shall we say – a disappointment to my clients and they don’t want to believe it. It’s a wake-up call to the choices they make which leaves them in this uncomfortable situation.
The good news is that because it’s a choice, they can choose differently and free up some of the time that has been so difficult for them to access. And making those choices is, in itself, not as easy as it might sound. But by appreciating that perfection they seek is not only unrealistic, but also unnecessary, they can begin to release the pressure on themselves and make positive differences.
People fail to have enough time for the important things in their lives – be they in the workplace or their personal lives – because of many things. They may set poor boundaries; they may prioritise badly; they may have unproductive preferences; they may not feel strong enough to push back.
In both the workplace and personal lives, people often fail to let go of tasks and workload because they believe others cannot deliver what they want. In their personal lives, this can lead to frustration, poor communication, resentment and ultimately destroy a relationship, leading to disastrous consequences.
In the workplace, leaders in particular are guilty of too much interference in outcomes by failing to trust those they lead to deliver. Often this is because they seek a perfection in performance of others which suits them, the leader, rather than the need of the business, which is often not as perfect as they think.
This striving for perfection is not only toxic, it is seeking the impossible.
In both personal and work situations, perfection is a myth. It is only in the eyes of the beholder. For perfection is utterly subjective and not real. The perfection of one is not the perfection of another on any occasion. Similarly, the need to be ’good enough’ is so often resented, because it sounds like a cop out and a make do. Only just adequate.
In personal relationships, this can drive people apart because they do not see the world through the same eyes; hear it through the same ears. What is perfectly ‘good enough’ for one might fall short in the perception of another and because two people are close together in a relationship, this can be very divisive. The ability to be objective about actions and outcomes is a huge benefit when you are living in the pocket of a close other.
In the workplace, there are different dynamics.
Leaders are often provoked into demanding more from their people by perceived pressure from their direct line manager and ‘the organisation’. They can be bent into behaving in over-demanding ways because they think this is required.
This, in turn, means they demand more from their people. Because the perception of their team members is not the same as theirs, they end up micromanaging them – or worse – doing everything themselves. This leads to burn out and ultimately an even worse performance by the team as a whole. Not to mention the demotivation of untrusted, under-valued team members, underemployed because their leader doesn’t trust them enough and does their work for them.
Let things go a bit. Be the antidote to the poison of perfection.
Perfection itself is imperfection ~ Vladimir Horowitz
Be more objective about what you want to achieve. Be it in your one to one relationships with a loved one, or in your leadership of your team. Rarely does ‘perfect’ mean the same thing to everyone. Rarely is perfection either necessary or efficient. Even the greatest demands for perfection have tolerance.
By relaxing in your expectations of others and objectively assessing appropriate outcomes, not only will your relationships be stronger; more collaborative and appreciative, but you will create more time for those things that you really need to focus on.
