Perceptions of Time
Each Friday in our household, the following is uttered without fail:
“I can’t believe that it is Friday already.”
“I can’t believe that the laundry basket is full again.”
The perception that time goes faster as you get older is a common experience, and various psychological and neurological studies attempt to explain why. Although I’m trying to stick with Occam’s Razor, a principle that suggests the simplest explanation is often the most likely, Einstein’s theory of relativity won’t leave me alone. Einstein's theory, which extends beyond the physical nature of time, highlights the relative, flexible nature of our psychological perception of time.
Just as the fabric of the universe can bend and stretch, so can our experience of time, which is influenced by our age, experiences, and cognitive changes. For a ten-year-old, a year feels significantly longer because it represents a larger portion of their life. Conversely, a year is a much smaller fraction for a fifty-year-old, making it seem shorter. This understanding of time's impact on personal growth invites us to be introspective and to consider how our experiences shape our perception of time.
Time Wasting at Work?
I’ve noticed a stark contrast in how managers and creatives approach time. Managers typically follow structured schedules filled with meetings and administrative tasks. Their day ends with, for example, 18 short, satisfying meetings and tasks ticked off or reallocated to another day. On the other hand, creatives thrive with large blocks of uninterrupted time to generate ideas and produce content.
The issue of time wasting arises when managers and creatives don’t recognise the differences in how each structures a productive work day. A ‘quick’ 30-minute meeting for a creative can interrupt a half-day allocation of time as the creative struggles to get their head back from detail and into creative activities again. I know this first-hand from writing my PhD; every day I took off to do some coaching or facilitation, it took nearly two days to get my head back into my research and writing. Similarly, a creative person who remains unavailable for large chunks of time rather than being interrupted can be seen as uncooperative and not working hard according to the manager’s criteria.
Diversity
Understanding how managers and creatives use their time is crucial for fostering a productive and harmonious workplace. Tailoring time management strategies to suit these roles enhances efficiency and job satisfaction.
Think of a manager's time as a well-organised bookshelf, with each book representing a specific task or meeting. In contrast, a creative's time is like a canvas, where broad strokes of uninterrupted periods are essential for crafting their masterpiece.
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