Why Value Outweighs Time
One of the most common traps I see in leadership is the tendency to measure an employee’s worth by the number of hours they put in. This mindset may work for some roles—like a guard in a guardhouse, where coverage itself is essential. You would not want a guard who only shows up for fifteen minutes of a shift. But even in this case, time alone is not enough. What value does the guard bring during those hours?
Is he mature and alert? Does he know what to watch for? Will he freeze under pressure, or does he have the courage and training to act decisively? His presence is measured in hours, but his value is measured in vigilance, judgment, and readiness.
The Costly Mistake of Hourly Thinking
Too often, executives apply the same “time equals value” logic to professional roles. They calculate an employee’s hourly rate and decide whether they are “too expensive.” This is short-sighted.
Consider the sales representative who closes a million-dollar deal that delivers $500,000 in profit. Was his contribution worth his hourly pay? What if the deal took him only 45 minutes to close? Most companies couldn’t find three other people in their entire organization capable of replicating that success. That sales rep’s value is not in his hours—it’s in the results only he could deliver.
The Steinmetz Lesson
Henry Ford once called in Charles Steinmetz, the great electrical engineer, when Ford’s massive generators failed and brought the plant to a standstill. The problem was not complex—it was crippling.
Steinmetz spent hours carefully studying the machinery before finally marking a single adjustment. When Ford’s engineers made the change, the generators roared back to life.
Later, Ford received Steinmetz’s bill for $10,000 and asked for an itemized account. Steinmetz replied:
- Making chalk mark on generator: $1
- Knowing where to make mark: $9,999
Ford paid the bill.
The lesson? Ford had been thinking like a cost accountant, equating value with hours worked. Steinmetz’s insight was rare, indispensable, and worth every dollar.
Value Over Time
The lesson is simple but often ignored: time is not the ultimate measure of value—impact is. A clock can measure hours, but only leadership can measure contribution.
When leaders learn to see beyond time and measure by value, their organizations thrive. They stop asking, “How much does this employee cost per hour?” and start asking, “What value does this employee bring that no one else can?”
Henry Ford learned it the hard way. The wise CEO doesn’t wait until the bill comes due.
Joseph Bartosch, EdD
Certified Professional Business Coach