Balancing maker v manager needs
Valuable things come from sustained attention
I love building things. The act of turning an idea into a tangible item is magical. Building walls. Making a table with a chess board inlay. Designing a logo. Developing a financial model. Coding a mobile app. The creative process brings me great pleasure. Almost without exception, the things I am most proud of have taken dedicated effort, over a sustained period. Days when I have stretches of quiet, uninterrupted time are the most productive and enjoyable. Conversely, those interspersed with meetings, urgent emails and quick questions are often unproductive and frustrating.
Makers v managers work patterns
The ability to perform deep work is becoming increasingly rare at exactly the same time it is becoming increasingly valuable in our economy. - Cal Newport
The tension between the manager's and maker's needs represents a profound challenge in most organisations. This primarily negatively impacts people in creative and technical roles. The manager's schedule divides into one-hour intervals, conducive to meetings and decision-making. This suits the dynamic nature of managerial tasks that require frequent context switching. In contrast, maker's require prolonged, undisturbed periods to focus. This is essential for deep concentration and engagement in complex creative or problem-solving tasks. Makers, like programmers and writers, thrive on this schedule as it fosters a state of flow, crucial for innovation and quality output.
Conflict awareness
All truths that are kept silent become poisonous. - Friedrich Nietzsche
Conflict arises when the segmented nature of the manager's schedule interrupts the maker's need for extended focus. Meetings and adhoc requests for updates are significant disruptors. Such interruptions not only fragment the maker's day but also impose a cognitive cost, affecting productivity and the ability to engage deeply with work. The issue extends beyond individual inconvenience, reflecting a broader organisational challenge where the prevailing rhythm, often dictated by management, fails to accommodate the needs of makers.
Accommodating maker needs
A woodpecker can tap twenty times on a thousand trees and get nowhere, but stay busy. Or he can tap twenty-thousand times on one tree and get dinner. - Seth Godin
Addressing the contrasting needs of makers and managers requires mutual understanding and respect. Strategies I find helpful include:
Team member’s awareness of the importance of uninterrupted work periods.
Designating specific times for meetings. This ensures the main work hours remain free for focused, creative tasks. I found Steps to Transform Meeting Effectiveness include having fewer of them, planning well and facilitating flow.
Flexible working arrangements which accommodate different work rhythms. This allows me and other makers to operate during our peak productivity times, be it early morning, late night or other times.
Blocking out calendar for periods to focus on specific, priority tasks.
Asynchronous communication. Email and collaboration apps allow me to consider requests and respond at the most appropriate time.
Other resources
It Doesn’t Have to be Crazy at Work interview with Jason Fried
Deep Work in 5 Steps post by Phil Martin
How to do Great Work post by Phil Martin
Cal Newport suggests, To produce at your peak level you need to work for extended periods with full concentration on a single task free from distraction.
Have fun.
Phil…
