Take the time!

Expectation and Time Constraint - A gift?

Can time constraints combined with expectations be a gift? I think so.

Here’s the situation. A colleague was celebrating 35 years of service - a big deal. First, how often does that happen in any company anymore and additionally, this was no ordinary employee - this colleague is extremely vibrant and effective. The guy needed to be honored. On the day of the celebration, our boss texted me that he was ill. He wouldn’t be available to host the event for my colleague, so he asked me to step in and say a few words, propose a toast and help people feel welcome.

Make people feel welcome - not a problem. I can be hospitable. Propose a toast - could be a little more challenging but simple is good so again, not a problem. Say a few words - Say what?! That’s a challenge. I’m not a gifted public speaker. I needed to prepare.

I looked at my calendar for the day and oh boy. 15 minutes unscheduled between now and the event. The event was 7 hours away, but I only had 15 minutes. Who knows what sort of other challenges would be lurking in the day? I would need a break with the busy day the way it was and yet I needed to block the open 15 minutes for this unexpected assignment.

The open time slot came. I shot up a quick prayer. My mind became extremely focused on the individual and historic company events over the course of his 35 years. I began to type out the thoughts that in this focused time came pouring in. I was surprised - almost a little freaked out. I even used 3-4 minutes at the end of the 15 to turn the material into a rhyme - yes, really happened.

A huge learning opportunity for me. How often do I have a preconceived idea about how much time I need for this or that? I often procrastinate on things finding that I tell myself things like “There’s not enough time right now to start”. Don’t get me wrong, we need breaks, and we need times for refreshment. I get that, but this was a learning moment for me.

The learning for me - the gift - was the expectation that came with the constraint of time. I needed to come through for my colleague and I only had so much time I could devote. The combination of expectation and constrained time could have resulted in me giving up but instead caused me to focus and I could come through for my colleague.

Can you relate? Tell us about a time you had expectations and time constraints come together to work for you.