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Wednesday, July 29, 2009

The Maker and Manager

The Maker and Manager's Schedules.


Wow!  I love it when I find a piece on the net that eloquently describes something I've been trying to explain or get a handle on for a length of time.  Today the "honor" goes to Mr. Paul Graham and his writings on the Maker's Schedule, Manager's Schedule.  He hits it right on the money. 

Gina Trapani sums it up on her blog: "creative types–need half or whole days to produce anything that solves
complicated problems. Managers schedule out their workdays in hour-long
blocks. When managers schedule makers into midday meetings, they kill
creative productivity in real but not-obvious ways
."

I have always gravitated to the maker's schedule.  Even when living by the manager's.  I used to do (sometimes still do) the same thing Graham mentions - work two days for every one.  Daytime running on the manager's schedule and then hitting the makers - in the evening / night.  Lately I attempt to pull off the office hours trick.  I limit my manager's schedule stuff to the afternoons of two or three days out of the week.  I even block the time on my schedule - hoping that others will see me as busy and not schedule me into those one hour meetings during my maker periods.  So far results are mixed.


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