“Time isn’t the main thing. It’s the only thing.” Author Daniel Pink uses this quote from Miles Davis to kick off his thesis that timing is a science. Drawing upon a broad series of research findings to support this argument, Pink presents the power of perfect timing in his most recent book When.
Former speech-writer for President Clinton and author of five other books aimed at popularizing recent research findings, Pink has already sold more than two million copies worldwide of this inspiring, bold and persuasive book. In fact, he is now said to already be “acquiring international guru status” (Financial Times).
The book falls into three parts, all focusing on aspects of timing, notably regarding:
The day (i.e., the most optimal time to do certain tasks)
The sequencing (i.e., a project’s beginning, ending and in-between phases)
The synchronizing (i.e., thinking about when to do what)
An unusual choice to note is Pink’s decision to add an appendix entitled “Time Hacker’s Handbook” after each chapter. These appendices provide hints to the reader on “how to be better at doing it yourself,” which are indeed helpful when it comes to internalizing each of these key processes. These appendices add credence and valuable insights to the book’s key messages.
The book’s onset focuses on a set of “errors” that the captain of the passenger liner Lusitania appeared to have made when his ship was targeted by a German U-boat and sank off the Irish coast on May 7, 1915, causing the death of 1,198 people on board. Pink uses this story to underscore that timing is everything and that, in particular, one should never make important decisions in the afternoon, which is what the captain did regarding speed, direction, etc. Avoiding afternoon decisions is a recurrent theme in this book. According to Pink, most of us seem to have a morning peak of energy, followed by a midday slump (when most of us are feeling “down”), later followed by a second peak in the late afternoon. This “two peaks in the day” pattern seems to be rather robust. However, research does mitigate this finding by recognizing that one human out of four is a “night owl” who experiences the two-peak pattern but at opposite times to the majority.
Most of us have come to believe that taking breaks in the workplace is both unacceptable and undesirable. Yet, scientific evidence does not support this belief. On the contrary, short breaks, especially in the early afternoon, seem to increase our performance. Similarly, when it comes to breaking for lunch, having lunch should be “detached” from work. Therefore, no munching on a sandwich while simultaneously taking calls and staying at one’s desk! Even a cup of coffee, followed by a short 15- to 20-minute nap, can enhance performance. Just be aware than naps exceeding 20–25 minutes can produce sleep inertia (i.e., the feeling of grogginess) and would this be detrimental. In essence, science proves that short breaks and short naps are beneficial, especially when timed correctly during busy periods.
But what about the role of time in projects, also referred to as the project’s sequencing? Needless to say, a project’s beginning is crucial. Start correctly! And, if the project’s kick-off turns out badly, Pink shows evidence that we should kick off the project once more! Interestingly, the start of some projects seems to be closely related to temporal phenomena such as the start of a new semester, month, week, or one’s birthday. Such milestones often seem to kick-start projects in good ways!
Conversely, a project’s midpoint represents a particular challenge. A biological fact is at play here – the so-called “U” with slumps in the middle. Motivation plays a particularly key role here. Pink invites his readers to attempt to improve themselves and to never give up. A prominent point Pink makes is that any sense in “being slightly behind” means nothing in reality – there is still plenty of time to win!
Finally, regarding a project’s ending phase, it is key to take time even more seriously and to “kick even harder” near the finish line! And, for many types of projects, “less is more.” Many organizations, for instance, may shrink with age, but the quality of the network’s members nonetheless tend to increase. To translate this to the context of finishing a project, fewer people may be involved, but they will tend to be more committed! And, when it comes to a project’s end, one must strive to provide a purposeful ending!
Pink then shifts the book’s focus to the concept of “synchronizing,” also sometimes called “group think.” This synchronizing occurs under the supervision of an effective boss, when all team members have a sense of belonging to the team and feel productive in their responsibilities. In support of this concept, the author cites David Brown’s famous book The Boys in the Boat, in which nine US rowers acted as one highly coordinated team and ended up winning the 1936 Olympic gold medal in the eight rowing event (see my book review)! With proper coordination, a team can act as one.
The final chapter concludes with several observations. A proper understanding of when to perform tasks is embedded in process thinking. Pink proposes the following key processes for achieving better timing:
“Surf the waves” instead of ignoring them (think about being in the zone)!
Naps, breaks and walks are necessary and must not be avoided.
Shake off any bad start by starting again.
Midpoints are key; most people have increased energy from here on to the end, but some give up!
It is essential to focus on providing a meaningful ending to any project.
Synchronizing is crucial in that it impacts the
Sense of belonging of a team and
Sense of purpose that is shared among all team members.
All in all, this book offers several new holistic, science-backed approaches to working more effectively in harmony with good timing. In that sense, Miles Davis was right: Time is the only thing!
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