In the world of productivity and time management, two distinct approaches have emerged: the Maker vs Manager schedule. These schedules represent different ways of structuring our time and managing tasks, each catering to a specific set of individuals with unique work styles. Understanding the differences between these schedules is crucial for optimizing productivity and achieving success.
I encountered this idea several times in my readings, but as I listened to “10X Is Easier Than 2X: How World-Class Entrepreneurs Achieve More by Doing Less” by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy on Audible. I felt as though I needed to write my thoughts down.
I am a manager; therefore, my schedule is full of meetings, fires, and “Do you have a minute”? I understand the Maker’s or Creative’s mind. I was/am a Creative (this blog), as a Systems Administrator, I was a Maker, and I also manage IT Engineers and Project Managers.
This article will delve deep into the nuances of the Maker’s and Manager’s schedules, highlighting their characteristics, benefits, and potential challenges.
The Maker’s Schedule
Defining the Maker’s Schedule
Maker’s Schedule concept was developed by Paul Graham, co-founder of Y Combinator, a successful startup accelerator. The term defines a schedule favored by people who create things, like engineers, writers, artists, programmers, and so on, where they can have large blocks of uninterrupted time to concentrate on their work. The premise of this schedule is that such individuals, termed ‘Makers,’ need a flow of continuous time rather than intermittent periods to be productive and creative.
The Need for Uninterrupted Time
Makers thrive on deep work, where they can immerse themselves in a task, achieving a flow state and harnessing their creative potential. Interruptions, such as meetings or frequent context switching, can significantly hamper their productivity and hinder their ability to produce their best work. The Maker’s Schedule acknowledges this need for uninterrupted time and allows individuals to dedicate substantial “blocks” of time to their projects.
Note: As I am writing this, or trying to write this, Mary is interrupting my flow state to go on a walk for coffee and breakfast. This is the hardest, just getting into the groove and getting sucked out.
Types of Uninterrupted Time
Deep Work: This term was popularized by productivity expert Cal Newport in his book “Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World.” Deep work is focusing without distraction on a cognitively demanding task. It’s a state where a person can produce high-quality work in less time. This kind of work requires a block of time without interruptions, ideally ranging from 90 minutes to several hours.
Flow State: This term was coined by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, a psychologist who defined it as an “optimal state of consciousness where we feel our best and perform our best.” It’s a state of deep immersion in a task, losing a sense of time and self in the process, often associated with peak creativity and productivity.
Interruptions: These can be external, such as meetings, emails, calls, and chats, or internal, like self-distraction, multitasking, or lack of focus. Both interruptions are detrimental to the flow state and deep work because they break concentration, making it hard to re-engage at the same depth with the task at hand.
Context Switching: This refers to shifting attention from one task to another. The problem with context switching is that it drains cognitive resources. Each switch might waste only a quarter of a second, but if you do a lot of switching in a day, it can add up to a significant loss of productivity.
Uninterrupted Time: The Maker’s Schedule prefers longer, uninterrupted blocks of time for deep, focused work. These blocks of time can range from several hours to a whole day and are treated as a sort of ‘sacred’ time where the person is not to be disturbed.
This productivity perspective contrasts with the Manager’s Schedule, which typically breaks the day into an hour or half-hour slots for meetings and other activities. The clash between these two types of schedules is often a source of tension in organizations. Therefore, teams and companies must recognize and respect the need for uninterrupted time for their makers. This can mean scheduling meetings only at certain times, using asynchronous communication methods, or creating quiet zones or times where interruptions are not allowed.
The Impact of Meetings on the Maker’s Schedule
Meetings can be disruptive to the Maker’s Schedule. Even a meeting can fragment a day, breaking it into smaller, less productive chunks. Makers often find it challenging to switch between the context of a meeting and the deep work they were engaged in previously.
As the Customer Service Branch Chief, I had 30 yearly performance reviews or DOD Performance Management and Appraisal Program (DPMAP) to close out and create 30 new ones. This all took place in about one month. The process was to have a 1:1 with employees about the previous year and what they wanted to accomplish in the next approximately 30 minutes to an hour.
After, I would write in paragraph format about how they crushed the SMART goals from last year and deserve a ranking on DPMAP. This has a direct effect on bonuses and promotions. I do not take this task lightly.
In this part, I will go back and forth with my Manager and sometimes Director in crafting the proper Performance Review. When I completed this part, the employees signed off, and we started the new performance review process.
My flow state would constantly get interrupted by some meeting or emergency. I would have my Administrative Assistant and Team Leaders run the operational side of things and block medium and minor distractions.
Consequently, a meeting can not only consume the time allocated for the meeting itself but also impede progress on other tasks, causing a cascading effect that affects the overall productivity of the day.
The Manager’s Schedule
Understanding the Manager’s Schedule
The Manager’s Schedule, on the other hand, caters to individuals responsible for overseeing and coordinating the work of others. Managers typically work in a more structured environment, where their days are divided into one-hour intervals. This schedule allows them to handle various tasks within a set timeframe, including meetings, decision-making, and delegation.
The Importance of Time Allocation
Time allocation and efficient scheduling are critical for managers to ensure smooth operations and effective management. They need to balance multiple responsibilities, coordinate with team members, and address the demands of their position. The Manager’s Schedule provides the framework for managing these tasks and juggling competing priorities.
Types of Time Allocation
Time Allocation: Refers to the design of certain amounts of time towards specific activities or tasks. This is a crucial skill for anyone, particularly for managers who oversee multiple tasks and people. Effective time allocation allows managers to prioritize their work, ensuring that the most critical tasks are addressed first. (Aeon et al., 2020)
Efficient Scheduling: This is organizing tasks to maximize productivity and efficiency. For managers, efficient scheduling might mean grouping similar tasks together, delegating tasks appropriately, ensuring enough time for high-priority tasks, and ensuring they have blocks of time for strategic thinking and planning.
Manager’s Schedule: This concept from Paul Graham contrasts with the Maker’s Schedule. Where the Maker’s Schedule is about large blocks of uninterrupted time for deep work, the Manager’s Schedule is broken up into smaller chunks of time, often one-hour slots. This is because a manager’s tasks often involve multiple shorter activities like meetings, calls, and checking in with team members.
Balancing Multiple Responsibilities: A vital part of a manager’s role is handling multiple responsibilities simultaneously. These include strategic planning, managing team members, dealing with operational issues, and interfacing with other parts of the organization or external stakeholders. Reasonable time allocation and efficient scheduling are crucial in juggling these various tasks effectively.
Coordination with Team Members: Managers need to spend time working with their team members, providing feedback, solving problems, and facilitating communication. This is a critical part of their role and needs to be scheduled into their day to ensure it happens.
Addressing the Demands of the Position: The role of a manager comes with numerous demands, such as decision-making, problem-solving, and crisis management. Managers also need time to develop their skills and keep up with industry developments. Time allocation is essential to address these crucial parts of the role.
Leveraging Speculative Meetings
One notable advantage of the Manager’s Schedule is the ability to accommodate speculative meetings. Unlike the Maker’s Schedule, managers can afford informal meetings to explore potential collaborations, foster relationships, or exchange ideas. Speculative meetings are an opportunity to network, expand professional connections, and identify new possibilities.
Bridging the Gap: Maker vs Manager
Recognizing Diverse Work Styles
While the Maker’s and Manager’s schedules may appear fundamentally different, it is essential to recognize that both approaches have their merits. Many organizations have a diverse workforce comprising makers and managers, each contributing unique skills and perspectives. Balancing and bridging the gap between these schedules becomes crucial to foster collaboration and maximize productivity.
Here are six steps to help:
1. Understanding the Different Schedules: The first step in bridging the gap is understanding that these two types of schedules exist and acknowledging that they each have their own requirements and benefits. Managers should recognize the need for makers to have long, uninterrupted periods for deep work, and makers should understand that managers’ roles require frequent interaction and shorter periods of focus.
Sit down with your Manager or Maker and come up with a schedule. This is also in the Clear Communication step, but it is crucial.
As a Manager, I need to know that my Engineer needs more focus time in the morning because that is when they get the best work done. If I need something from them for a morning meeting, I will ask the day before so they don’t have to attend during that flow state time.
2. Respect for Each Other’s Time: Both managers and makers must respect each other’s time. Managers should avoid scheduling meetings during makers’ deep work time, and makers should be responsive during designated communication periods.
This can be difficult. Your career field and position also play a factor. In the IT field, most of the time, I need answers “yesterday” 😉 and or all hands on deck for some emergency.
3. Clear Communication: Clear communication about when interruptions are acceptable and when they are not is critical. This may involve setting specific ‘office hours’ for meetings or designating certain times as ‘uninterruptible’ deep work periods.
Managers need to step in and audit what meetings your Makers genuinely need and don’t need to go to. My Makers appreciate me asking, trusting, and taking the “meeting bullet” for them.
4. Time Blocking: This is a practice of planning the day in advance and dedicating specific time ‘blocks’ for different activities. Managers can have blocks for meetings, planning, and administrative tasks while setting aside blocks for strategic thinking or skill development. Makers can set aside large blocks for focused work, with smaller blocks for checking email or other communication.
5. Asynchronous Communication: Implementing asynchronous communication, such as email or project management tools, can reduce the need for synchronous interruptions like meetings or phone calls. This allows makers to respond when it suits their schedule rather than being interrupted during deep work.
Makers, again, talk with your manager so they understand what you are going. This, if not communicated, can cause issues, especially with new Supervisors and Managers.
6. Flexibility: Lastly, both schedules require a degree of flexibility. Unforeseen issues will inevitably arise that demand immediate attention, and it’s essential to be able to adjust your schedule to accommodate these.
Bridging the gap between the Maker’s Schedule and the Manager’s Schedule is not a one-size-fits-all solution. It requires thoughtful communication, mutual respect, and flexible strategies that can adapt to the specific needs of each team and each individual. It’s a dynamic process that can lead to a more efficient and harmonious work environment.
Conclusion
In the great symphony of productivity, the Maker’s Schedule and the Manager’s Schedule play their unique, essential melodies. Understanding these distinct rhythms of work, each valuable and each requiring its own cadence, is critical to orchestrating a harmony that leads to both individual and organizational crescendos of success.
In the thriving ecosystem of a productive workplace, each role, from the focused creator to the multitasking manager, contributes to the overall vitality of the organization. But bridging the rhythmic gap between these schedules is imperative for this ecosystem’s flourishing.
The bridge is not a mere footpath but a thoughtful highway of strategies that include clear communication, flexibility, and mutual respect for time.
By cultivating this landscape of understanding, organizations can transform their environment into one where the silence of deep work coexists with the dynamic tempo of managerial tasks. Asynchronous communication becomes the subtle language of the forest, allowing for the exchange of ideas without disturbing the intense focus of the makers.
In this harmonious space, the deep immersion of makers can give birth to innovation and creativity. At the same time, managers operating at the intersection of multiple timelines can effectively lead and inspire their teams.
