About Actual Time vs. University Time

Take a minute and consider the difference between these clocks. What do you see? OK, the left one is an ordinary clock-face showing actual time. The right one again is showing the months of a year. When I saw this picture the first time (in the book "Lean Thinking" by Bob Emiliani) I went immediately to myself and thought: "What is my time?"
Well, in everyday life I use the left one, but when it comes to developing my courses, it might more be the right one. Why? Well, our Quality System @VAMK is built that way. We actually have a year clock to follow. If you miss the dead line when it comes to developing the Curriculum or your own courses you are screwed. You have to wait until the next round to officially change something.

According to Lean this is not good. If you have read my earlier posting you know that Lean Thinking has two basic principles: (1) Respect For People and (2) Contiuous Improvement. When you do continuous improvements you should follow the left clock. This means that you will be responsive for what happens during the day, for example feedback from your students, and strive to improve your Teaching (the student's learning experience) every day.
If something is entirely up to the walls (not working) you should be able to change it now, not after another year. That is how Business works. That is how Customer Service works. That is how Teaching should work.