The Greatest Gift

“The greatest gift you can ever give is the gift of your time.”

I posted those words with a picture of a clock before my staff arrived for work many years ago. It replaced a giant board that tracked everyone's whereabouts - a dry erase eyesore that hung on the back of the tall cube dividers with an attached pen to write your whereabouts and move a little magnet to the "In" or "Out" column next to your name.

Several days a week someone would march into my office to complain, "Can you believe it? So-and-so isn't at their desk and didn't move their magnet or write where they went!"

When I became the leader of this team, I repeatedly shared that my expectation wasn't that everyone was at their desks. For certain roles, I actively encouraged being out of the office meeting with potential supporters. My concern was getting our work done and achieving results, not monitoring every movement.

Eventually, I realized I couldn't talk our way into trusting each other. We'd just have to practice it until we did. One early morning before the first magnet was moved, I triumphantly took down that micromanaging board! In its place, I posted a simple sheet of paper featuring an image of a clock, the quote above, and the words, "Thank you for being here today."

By the end of the day, more quotes and photos had joined the space the board had once dominated. It still brings tears to my eyes remembering that beautiful collage. Our practice had begun.

How are you spending your precious time?

With heart,

Holly