The Maker meets the Manager – balancing a hybrid role

One of the hardest things to do in life is to move from Doing Work to Managing Work.  We are taught throughout our education how to do work.  Getting things done is the primary purpose of education.  Rarely are students assigned to manage other students as they do homework.  It would be weird, that’s the role of the teacher.

But often times a role is not as clear cut as being a Manager or a Maker.  Sometimes you fall into a dual role.

For those that aren’t familiar with the philosophy, a Maker works in 4 hour blocks of time.  Getting new things done requires concentration over extended periods of time.  Managers however work in 3o minute to 1 hour blocks of time.  Short bursts of focused activity is directed during each window.  Makers can’t be productive on a Manager’s schedule and vice versa.

So what happens to those hybrids?  The real issue is that the manager schedule is the dominant effect.  It is very easy to start throwing 30 minute meetings across days.  It can be very difficult to keep 4 hour blocks of time maintained.  The hybrid schedule is the hardest to achieve.  Yet for many, maintaining a connection to the work product is a goal worth trying to achieve.

This brings us to the topic of prioritization.  Making is as important (if not more important) as those 30 minute meetings spread across the days.  Blocking out time for them is not a selfish activity, instead it is an activity worthy of having days at a time set aside to achieve what can be achieved.  It can quickly feel as if you are taking time away from the others that would like to work on the Manager’s schedule, but they will find other meetings and tasks to fill their time while you go and achieve.

And achievement is the greatest thing that can be done in business.