Time is on My Side - Yes it Is!

But when it comes to work, should we focus on time or quality?

With a power of prediction exceeding that of Nostradamus – although how many times has he predicted the end of the world? – Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones sang in 1964 ‘time is on my side’ - 50 years later he is still touring! 

But when it comes to work, is time really on our side? There is never enough of it. It is usually either going too fast or taking too long. Sometimes we just don’t know where it has gone!  

While time may be an infinite concept, our measurement of time is not. We have standard units of time that are used to measure the duration and effort of our work. Which leads me to consider the expression: “I don’t know where I have spent my time”. This is a more useful relationship with time. It recognises time as a commodity (it has value) and that we all choices as to how we spend it.

So is timesheeting an effective means to understand how we spend our time? I think yes - but at the risk of neglecting the quality of our work.

Having worked in chartered accounting I understand the importance of recording work in units of 6 minutes. But timesheeting in that context is a component of the overall billing cycle. While time captured on timesheets may be recorded against client accounts, this is no guarantee it will be billed or paid – that requires consideration of the quality of work.

In his 14 key priniciples of business effectiveness, the father of Total Quality Management, William Edward Deming, emphasised a focus on quality and systems over targets and controls. So while timesheeting may be a good means to capture where we spend our time, it is not a measure of how well we spend our time – the quality of work is of greater importance and a bigger challenge for management.

I’d love to hear about your thoughts or experiences...start a conversation here or email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.