Leadership Essentials: The Power of the Timeout
Richard Pierce Thomas
Leadership and Small Business Consultant
I crossed paths recently with a friend, Brian, who had started his business about the same time I did in late 2005. We caught up over coffee as he shared the details.
“Two-thousand eight was the worst,” he began. “We went through a round of layoffs and cut expenses to the bone. It’s starting to come around though, and we have seen year over year growth since 2010,” Brian explained.
“That is good news,” I commented. “Growth is a good thing, right?”
“I don’t know, Rick,” he said wearily. “Yeah, don’t get me wrong, we appreciate the business. It’s just…” he trailed off as he stared at his coffee cup, stirring it absent mindedly. “I don’t know what I’m working for anymore,” he resumed. “We are all putting in so much extra time and barely keeping our heads above water.”
I wasn’t surprised by what I was hearing. That his business has struggled is almost a given. Being a remodeler, well, you know the story. That he is still around to tell about it is a testament to his perseverance and determination. That wasn’t the issue anymore though, and for many like Brian, the challenge is how to shift from simply surviving to thriving. How is the operative term.
“You’ve got to take a timeout,” I said to Brian.“What, am I being punished?” he asked sarcastically.
“No, but the concept is not far off,” I explained, “When we stay in the weeds of the business, day after day, we lose sight of what we are doing, and why we are doing it. We lose perspective. Creating a timeout clears the smoke and you can see what you are aiming for.”
“But we’ve tried that before,” Brian explained. “We used to shut down the business for annual retreats and come up with all kinds of fancy plans. The problem is, the retreats ended up being more of a boondoggle than anything else. The plans would last about a few months and then everyone was back to the normal grind. It just didn’t make sense to continue doing them.”
“With those kind of results, I can see why,” I agreed. “But that’s not what I’m talking about. When you set time aside weekly for working on-the-business as opposed to working solely in-the-business, you create true momentum.” Brian didn’t look convinced.
“Okay, look at it this way,” I said, changing tactics. “Is your pace sustainable?”
He sighed heavily as he leaned forward on his elbows. “No, not at this rate. My wife is continually upset at me because she receives the brunt of my stress. And I’m missing too many of my kids’ activities.”
I nodded quietly. It was clear Brian was chewing on the conversation. “Besides, I wouldn’t know where to start,” he finally admitted. His eyes were moist, his voice tinged with emotion.
“With small steps,” I responded, and shared an outline for creating powerful timeouts in his weekly schedule. We then reviewed the steps to create accountabilities in his plan to reinforce the action. We regrouped a few months later to assess the results.
“Work is still crazy,” he admitted. He was relaxed and smiling, however, his posture clearly indicating things were different. “The timeouts are great. I actually look forward to them everyday. It’s like recess.”
Brian shared the books he had read recently and the ideas they were inspiring.
“I’m now convinced the light I’m seeing at the end of the tunnel is daylight and not the oncoming train,” he said laughing.
“What’s next for you, now?” I asked.
“Getting the rest of my team to create timeouts. If we all were feeling this energized, imagine what we could accomplish.”
Creating timeouts in your work and business is not hard. You just have to be willing to commit to it. If you want to view the outline I shared with Brian, go to my website atwww.activateleadership.com and search for the blog post titled The Monday Minute: The Power of the Timeout. You will find a link to download the outline. Feel free to use it and be sure to post on my blog how it works for you or if you have any questions.
Good luck!
Rick P. Thomas is President of Activate Leadership, a leadership development consultancy in Washington State. He consults and speaks to organizations across the country, focusing on individual and organizational achievement.