Last week we kicked off a series on time and focused on spending time vs. spending money.  This week I’d like to challenge us to think about how we are choosing to invest our time in people.

Let’s pretend for a minute that you walked into the office and you saw a nickel on the ground.  You picked it up and put it in your pocket.  Later on when you see me, for grins and giggles you say, “I found this nickel.  It’s yours!”  Then you flip it in my direction.  I catch the nickel and say thanks.  Then, I say, “This is yours,” and I flip a dime over to you.  I walk away before you can ask me why I flipped you a dime.  A few days later you find a dime on the ground, you go through the same thing, and after you toss me the dime I toss you back a quarter.  You decide to keep experimenting and very quickly, you realize that if you give me money I’ll give you MORE money back than you give me.  It’s doesn’t matter if you give me a penny or $100 bill.  If you give me money, I’ll give you more back.  Besides trying to figure out why this is happening, what are you bound to do next?  I’m sure you would become very intentional about handing me money on a regular basis, so you could reap the reward from that “investment”.

What does this have to do with work?  The above situation is a winning situation for you, because you get MORE than what you give.  What if you could have the same situation at work?  I think you can.  Instead of giving someone coins you found on the floor, what if you spent a few minutes intentionally investing in them?  Your investments could be different things.  Maybe the investment is recognition, and your investment is a few seconds to send a nice email/text/note to someone to let them know you appreciate them.  Maybe the investment is giving some feedback to help them get better.  Maybe you take time out of your day to coach/mentor someone.  Whatever this looks like, you are taking your time and investing it in another person, and that investment is bound to turn into something.

How have you felt when someone invested time in you?  How did that change your relationship with that person?  How did that impact the work you did?  From my experience, the best leaders and people I’ve worked with have been the ones who have invested time in me in one way, shape, or form.  Sometimes the time they invested in me was a short few seconds and sometimes it was longer.  When people invested in me I did my best to give them back more and more.  As our relationship continued the time they invested in me became like a savings account that kept accruing interest.  If I feel like you are investing and invested in me I’ll give you hours of my life.  I’ll give you my energy.  I’ll give you my magic.  I’d hope that those things are worth more than the original investment of time that people placed in me. 

The challenge: Are you investing your time in people?  If I asked the people around you if you consistently invested in them, what would they say?

Take action: Invest time in someone today.

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry