Putting It All Together
When we aggregate all of these realities, we are left with a very interesting picture:
1. Businesses have much more flexibility than they currently exercise to create an environment and work hours that are matched to the kinds of work their employees do.
2. Work happens 24 hours a day.
3. Information flows 24 hours a day.
4. Individuals have peaks and valleys of energy and focus, logically distributed across 24 hours, with sleep thrown in for good measure.
5. Individuals have infinite combinations of situational factors that influence their schedules and needs.
Are you seeing this? There are 24 different hours during which we can sleep, work, play, and recover; but the vast majority of companies and individuals adhere to the 9-to-5 workday, 11-to-6 sleep cycle, and 2-day weekends. How we fit in sufficient time for play and recovery is anyone’s guess.
“The best way to keep a prisoner from escaping is to make sure he never knows he’s in prison.”
—Fyodor Dostoevsky, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
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