Spring Forward or Fall Back – Changing Time

It is that time of year when most of us will soon be going through the ritual of the Bi-annual Clock Change!

Thinking about the clock changes at this time of year makes me realise that this is really a global change event! Is there a bigger change event that happens?

For those in the know this is a perfect time to observe genuine human reaction to change. In the next few weeks you will see a number of people taking time out to make themselves a little more aware of their surroundings. You will hear grumbles about lost sleep or time taken to reset clocks. People will maybe have a few expletives as they start to drive to or from work in different light. Depending on your location, there will be comments about dark mornings or lighter mornings and evenings. Its that period of transition while people adjust to the new body clock.

The clock changes have been happening at various times for decades. The purpose of maximising daylight hours for external workers is lost on so many office based people. Isn’t it interesting how well we do cope with this change – yes some better than others, but within a short period of time everyone has got back to normality. So settled are we that when 6 months or so later the opposing change takes place we all go through the same grumble mode again!

What is the point I am getting at with this discussion? The changing of the standard time in so many places, is a huge change event effecting millions if not billions of people the world over and yet, we prepare for it, make it happen and then integrate it into our life so easily that several months down the line we have forgotten all about it – it is now an integral part of life. This is a successful change delivery – there is readiness, those effected know about it, the change takes place at a time with minimal impact (Saturday/Sunday) and it becomes so embedded after the event that its effects are long forgotten by the time the next change comes along.

So the next time someone says they don’t do change, ask them if they put their clocks back and forward? Then you can gently remind them of their role in this enormous global change event twice a year!