Time conflicts can upend the best laid plans.
That’s because time is precious and finding it is often challenging under any circumstance.
And it becomes especially difficult when you’re working with someone who relates to time differently than you. This is where you may see time conflicts arise.
What do I mean by that? Well, time conflicts come into play when you encounter someone whose values around punctuality, planning, and procrastination are different from yours.
This doesn’t need to lead to tangles, however. Approaching these differences proactively can actually enhance cooperation in ways that may surprise you.
Time conflicts can offer opportunities.
What sorts of opportunities do different time styles offer? Well, your choice is what makes the difference. You can always choose to view differences in time styles as opportunities to:
- Clarify what’s of prime importance to you. Pare it down and negotiate for it. The strength you build makes you more resilient and decisive.
- Attune yourself to others’ varying approaches to time use.
Acceptance offers benefits:
And genuinely accepting individual differences in time styles will benefit you in a number of ways:
- Truly accepting that others won’t change for you spares you the frustration of repetitive and fruitless efforts to control them.
- When people notice you are not trying to change them, they feel more relaxed and receptive.
- And when your colleagues feel respected, they are increasingly likely to negotiate successfully with you.
Explore time conflicts more deeply:
Effective compromising increases flexibility and clarifies lines of power and responsibility. Different time styles often reflect different priorities. So, explore how this can work to your mutual advantage. For example:
- One of you might accept added responsibility if you can make your own hours.
- The other might hold down the fort 9:00 – 5:00 in return for not taking work home.
Commit to creativity.
Thinking outside the box carries negotiations beyond rigid power struggles. For every problem, there is a resolution that honors the integrity and needs of each person.
Eyes on the prize:
Present the challenge in terms of shared goals. Keep the focus on the rewards you and your colleagues will enjoy. This stimulates cooperation.
Engage in dialogue:
Invite others to contribute ideas. The more invested everyone is in the problem-solving process, the more dedicated they’ll be to making it work. Negotiating different approaches to time use will challenge each of you to grow.
Rather than framing needed changes as a sacrifice, consider the benefits of identifying and honoring everyone’s baseline needs. You’ll develop vitality and confidence to encounter challenging conditions in ways that improve morale, promote effectiveness and save you time.
Here’s more help…
Overwhelmed? Discouraged? Stuck? Well, here’s something that will help you loosen those logjams and start moving again. “Why Can’t I Ever Get Anything Done?” How to Transform Your Life Using These 101 Time Tips is a compilation of 101 of my most popular time tips in expanded form, offering practical, heart-based wisdom in right-sized bites for easy digestion.
It includes time-tested tips and action steps separated into 11 common categories to help you find just what you need in the moment you need it. You know, transforming your life is all about transforming your time. It’s within your reach, and these 101 Time Tips give you 101 stepping stones to your time success.
And I’ve got a very special bonus for you, too. Why Can’t I Find My Direction?” 17 Journaling Prompts to Create Your Ideal Life is a workbook designed to support you in making the changes you most desire.
There’s so much for you here, and you can learn about it by clicking the link below:
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