My husband, Steve, made Mac n Cheese recently. Not an everyday meal in our house. When he checked the expiration date, he was shocked. The date was 2015! It had been in our pantry for 3 years. That discovery sent me to the medicine cabinet to check the over the counter medicines. Another shock – I threw out all but one bottle of cough syrup. I found one bottle dated 2005.
It got me thinking, how many other things or habits I have that have expired. One habit that has expired in our industry is billing by time sheets. My experiences in public accounting clearly stated that the time sheet was master. As a staff person, we accounted for every 6 minutes that we worked. We were measured by how many hours could be charged to the clients we served. Value may have been provided but that wasn’t the focus. I have noted the expiration of this habit, we are now moving toward fixed price agreements for the work that we do. The focus is on the results desired and we bill based on the project to get there.
Checking the medicine cabinet was a reality check for me. It is time to take inventory of my daily habits and surroundings and throw out those that have stop being of use. It is always time to change.
Mary Guldan-Lindstrom
