I've had a few deliveries that didn't end well. Everything was in place. A good team. Solid working conditions. A solution to a problem worth solving. But the timing was not right. People were not ready for it.
When is the right time then? Ask a fighter when is the right time to give a right hook to the opponent in the ring. Ask a couple on a date when is the right time to attempt that first kiss.
Ask a team when is the right time to launch a new solution. Too early and you risk confusion, resistance and poor adoption. Too late, and people have already developed workarounds, ingrained habits or lost trust in the process. Timing matters.
The ancient Greeks had two different words for time.
'Chronos' is the concept of linear time. The time we are used to. Measured in hours, days, weeks, months, and years. Or in sprints, roadmaps and deadlines.
'Kairos' refers to a more fluid, unpredictable, and qualitative time. Time measured in moments. The right action in the right moment can be the difference between success and failure.
We can't escape Chronos time. Dependencies and hard deadlines are unavoidable. Just get it done before the train leaves the station. Manage your time.
In Kairos you manage timing. You look for the right moment to strike.
How's the energy? Are people overloaded? What do leadership prioritize and care about? What's the unspoken frustrations? What stories are being told? Are people's pain points painful enough? Are there existing waves you can ride? Any recent major events you can leverage to your advantage? Strategic shifts?
You listen. You observe. You take the pulse of the organization.
With Chronos and Kairos time come dilemmas and decisions you must make.
Leadership announces a new change initiative you are asked to lead. They want to see early wins within two months. But people have change fatigue and are skeptical. They look at this as "extra work". It doesn't seem like the right moment.
What do you do? Do you keep pushing, or wait until they feel the pain themselves? Will everyone ever be ready? Rather than waiting for the right moment, can you create the right moment? People may feel ready when they see someone else went first.
If you were asked to manage timing instead of time, what would you do differently the next quarter?
What would happen if we in our planning and reviews asked more of "Is now the right time?" instead of "Are we on track for this?" or "When will it be delivered?"
When is the right time then? Ask a fighter when is the right time to give a right hook to the opponent in the ring. Ask a couple on a date when is the right time to attempt that first kiss.
Ask a team when is the right time to launch a new solution. Too early and you risk confusion, resistance and poor adoption. Too late, and people have already developed workarounds, ingrained habits or lost trust in the process. Timing matters.
The ancient Greeks had two different words for time.
'Chronos' is the concept of linear time. The time we are used to. Measured in hours, days, weeks, months, and years. Or in sprints, roadmaps and deadlines.
'Kairos' refers to a more fluid, unpredictable, and qualitative time. Time measured in moments. The right action in the right moment can be the difference between success and failure.
We can't escape Chronos time. Dependencies and hard deadlines are unavoidable. Just get it done before the train leaves the station. Manage your time.
In Kairos you manage timing. You look for the right moment to strike.
How's the energy? Are people overloaded? What do leadership prioritize and care about? What's the unspoken frustrations? What stories are being told? Are people's pain points painful enough? Are there existing waves you can ride? Any recent major events you can leverage to your advantage? Strategic shifts?
You listen. You observe. You take the pulse of the organization.
With Chronos and Kairos time come dilemmas and decisions you must make.
Leadership announces a new change initiative you are asked to lead. They want to see early wins within two months. But people have change fatigue and are skeptical. They look at this as "extra work". It doesn't seem like the right moment.
What do you do? Do you keep pushing, or wait until they feel the pain themselves? Will everyone ever be ready? Rather than waiting for the right moment, can you create the right moment? People may feel ready when they see someone else went first.
If you were asked to manage timing instead of time, what would you do differently the next quarter?
What would happen if we in our planning and reviews asked more of "Is now the right time?" instead of "Are we on track for this?" or "When will it be delivered?"
How can we bring Kairos time into our corporate rhythms?
