Clock Forward

I have a good friend of mine. He had concern about his children and his wife about their time management. If they plan to go for a party at 8 PM, every time, the family members use to be still preparing themselves upto 7:45 PM and at times till 8 PM. It was not only about a party, even if they are going for a movie, mostly by the time they reach the multiplex, movie would already start. By the time, they could get their car parked and reach the hall and take their seat finally, they would have lost 15-20 minutes of show.

My friend was working in a big Corporate like all of us. He used a trick. He forwarded his clock by 10 minutes. The trick worked fine for few days. Kids looking at that clock got prepared 10 minutes ahead and made some difference. However it did not last long. It was not too difficult for kids to guess the trick and they discounted the 10 minutes. Then the head of family, forwarded it by 20 minutes and now when I met him last, the clock was 30 minutes ahead. But story related to reaching late continues.

This blog is not to tell you my friend’s story! I am sure you would have came across such people. (And I hope you are not one with "clock ahead" by 30 minutes!)

People for whom clocks are set forward, soon get the idea and discount the time. In fact the best way to manage time is to keep the clock correct, give realistic target and convey significance of keeping time. It work wonders!

This blog is also not about setting clocks in your home. But think about following things.

1. Do you have Managers who “set their clock ahead”? e.g. target date to submit a work assignment is 7 days ahead and he tell his people that it should happen in 3 days. (Thinking that they will atleast make it on 7^th day!)
 
2. Do you have colleagues, who tell you to reach birthday party location at 4 PM, while time scheduled is 4:30 PM, just to ensure that if tell tell it as 4 PM, people will atleast reach by 4:30 PM.
 
3. …..
 
4. …..
 

And believe me these people are proven right! Team members of such Manager really take 7 days instead of 3 and people invited by such host really reach the place at 4:30 PM.

I am not going to conclude this by saying anything. Think about it. I call it as “Clock Forward Management” and the only solution is to set clock right.