It’s all  relative how we travel, but it’s always better to travel together  — Lionesses of Africa

In a shout-out to our large and fabulous Lionesses of Africa membership in South Africa, and to inject a bit of humour into our discussion before Professors across the globe start writing to Melanie, shocked that we should turn volumes of sacred work by the great Einstein into two (very) simplified paragraphs, we know for example that there is a large difference  in South Africa between:

“We’ll do it now” 

or…. 

“We’ll do it ‘now-now’”

Or “just now” … 

or even “right now”!

To solve this issue once and for all, flush from watching the fabulous webinar to announce the results of our South African Women Entrepreneurs Job Creators Research Survey (download the report here), we decided to run our own survey (seriously – the incredible Dr. Linda Zuze, our Head of the Lioness Data Unit can’t have all the fun!), and asked some of our South African Lionesses to explain the nuances of time in South Africa. “What is time based upon ‘now now’ and where does it come in the pecking order of ‘just now’, ‘now’ and ‘right now’?” we asked.

Little did we realize what a pandora’s box we were opening with some very humorous replies (one shown in our title screenshot from the Diamond Guru Clare Appleyard of katannutadiamonds.co.za), all agreeing it was good to giggle!

Interestingly, the results did differ (confirming our opening statement rather nicely we thought!), but on the whole we were able to get some kind of consensus. In South Africa if you want to get something done urgently, here are the time frames you must consider:

“Right Now” – is as close to immediate you can get, apparently.

Then comes “Now Now”. 

Followed by “Just Now”.

Then finally, “Now” (as one Lioness ‘helpfully’ explained to us: “Tone also matters with ‘now’, but I would say ‘now’ is the most abstract”.)

“Abstract”?! Now there is a term concerning time that we never saw in Einstein’s tomes. However, as a CEO in a company it’s these subtle differences that do indeed make all the difference. Time is so different for everyone depending on so many variables and this is not just in South Africa. As an owner and CEO there are many days where you squeeze 36 hours into a day (especially if you are also a mother!), then go into the office the next day and do the same again! As an employee (for some) 9-5 plus a one hour lunch break and a Tea break at 11 and 3 is a religion – and both are perfectly fine (well perhaps not the 36 hours bit – we so need to talk!). We are not here to judge.

Time is relative in all of those situations, indeed the employee rushing out at 5pm might be heading home to cook supper for their little one, before rushing out to do a night shift to pay all the bills – we simply do not know, that is why to judge is just so dangerous.

As CEOs and owners of a business, we have to be especially aware that not everyone ticks like us. If you have a project that has suddenly come through the door and needs to be done immediately there is a tendency to yell “All hands on deck” and make your problem, everyone’s problem. 

That is simply not fair. 

Yes, you have built a fabulous team, yes, everyone pulls in the same direction and gets things done, but there are three things that differentiate you, the owner and CEO from them. These are:

a) You own the business

b) You own the business 

And…

c) All of the above 

Again – ‘relativity’ at work. What you see as the company, is different from your managers’ view which is different from your sales teams’, which is different from your factory workers. These all have differing ‘frames of reference’, yet all are correct and all are fair.

In yet another seriously amazing Lioness Lean In Webinar this week sponsored by VW, we heard from Cheryl Benadie founder of Whole Person Academy who told us: “We need to be careful not to leave a part of ourselves behind when we have experienced trauma or faced ongoing stress. There is power to be found in embracing wholeness”. That is so true (as an aside, we were very glad for the box of tissues nearby – these Lean-ins can be very emotional at times). But that is equally true for our employees.

At a time when so many people have had their mental capacity stretched through fears over jobs, fears over death and fears over life that may never return, we have to be so careful with others’ ‘frames of reference’, their ability to cope and also as worrisome, their ability to hide. Melanie in one of her morning blogs this week promised that as Lionesses of Africa we will ensure no woman entrepreneur in Africa is left behind (see here) and knowing Melanie – this is a very serious promise. As a Lioness, it is your responsibility to ensure no employee is left behind, however well they hide.

Stress for you will be very different for stress for all of your employees (relativity again!), but the sooner we as leaders understand this, the sooner we can work better rather than constantly trying to squeeze a square peg into a round hole. 

According to McKinsey (here):

“…here is nothing inherently negative about the physiological side of stress. It is a hormonal jolt of adrenaline and cortisol brought on by our sympathetic nervous system that gives us a boost of physical energy and mental focus to confront an actual or perceived threat. In a normal stress response, when the threat passes, the heightened state is followed by calming effects of our parasympathetic nervous system, a natural brake returning us to a state of recovery and rest. Our body and mind calm, we restore our resources, and we prepare for the next challenge.”

Note “when the threat passes….”. If you continue to pile stress onto your managers and workers, they will collapse. If there is panic after panic after panic, or as usually –  overpromised too short deadlines agreed with clients, followed by overpromised too short deadlines agreed with clients, followed by overpromised too short deadlines agreed with clients, your team will suffer and you will only have yourself to blame. Studies have shown that if there is no time for recuperation following a stress event, then stress builds and like fat in an artery, this will just build upon itself until it pops.

So what can you as a Lioness do?

You have done the impossible and held onto as many staff as possible through these tough times. You yourself have over-stressed yourself, you have cut your own salary, indeed have had months where you did not pay yourself in order to keep on your workers (as confirmed in our South African Women Entrepreneurs Job Creators Survey here):