Just as a skilled tango dancer weaves their body with the rhythm of the music, you can waltz with the tempo of your productivity. And the secret lies in unlocking the riddle of your chronotype. A chronotype, in the simplest terms, is your body’s unique melody. It’s a biological rhythm, pulsating with your propensity to be most alert and active either in the morning, evening, or somewhere in between.

The digital symphony of today’s flexible work environment invites us to dance to our unique rhythm, and not the stifling tick-tock of a rigid 9-to-5 metronome. But first, you need to identify the tune.

Morning, Evening, and Neither: Which One Are You?

For some, the morning sun brings more than just the promise of a new day. It sparks an internal fire of alertness and vigor, fueling productivity. These individuals, known as morning chronotypes or ‘larks’, are at their productive best as dawn breaks, their minds as fresh and invigorating as the morning dew.

Their energy levels start to wane as the day progresses, making afternoons a period of slower-paced work and evenings a time for rest and rejuvenation. If you find yourself buzzing with ideas and enthusiasm in the early hours of the day, you are likely a lark.

On the other hand, evening chronotypes or ‘owls’ are night-time maestros. Their productivity gears into full swing when most are winding down. The quiet solitude of the evening gives wings to their ideas, and their peak productivity hours often stretch well past midnight.

Daybreak finds them less alert, with their energy levels gradually building up throughout the day. If you find your mind buzzing with activity when others are winding down, you might just be an owl.

There is, however, a third group. Those who do not strictly fit into the ‘lark’ or ‘owl’ categories. These are individuals who find their peak productivity hours spread out across the day.

 They might start the day slower, gain momentum during mid-day, and finish strong in the evening. Understanding their productivity pattern requires a closer examination of their daily rhythms.

A Prelude to the Dance: The Science Behind Chronotypes

Before we dive into identifying your personal productivity rhythm, let’s take a moment to appreciate the maestro behind the scenes – the science of chronobiology. This field of study delves into our biological rhythms, explaining why we might be early birds chirping to the sunrise, night owls hooting under the moon, or somewhere in between.

Our chronotypes are not a random roll of the dice, but rather an orchestrated symphony of genetic, environmental, and age-related factors. For instance, teenagers often gravitate towards eveningness due to biological changes during puberty. That makes it really hard for them to wake up and focus on schoolwork early in the morning, and it would be wise to adjust school hours to accommodate what we now know teenagers need. As we age, this typically shifts back towards morningness.

Our individual chronotype also interfaces with ‘zeitgebers‘ – external cues like light, food, and societal schedules that influence our internal clock. Picture these as the rhythm section, keeping beat while our chronotype melody plays on top.

The nuances of chronotype are so intricate that research even extends to the animal kingdom, with studies on creatures from fruit flies to mice!

Tempo Shifts: The Flexibility of Chronotypes

It’s important to remember that your chronotype isn’t a life sentence. Think of it more as a favorite dance move – it comes naturally, but it can change and evolve over time. Life changes, like parenthood or a new job, can shift our productivity patterns, causing our internal orchestra to rewrite its score.

In fact, many people find that with conscious effort, they can adjust their chronotype, allowing for greater flexibility. The key lies in being attuned to your body’s cues and being patient with yourself during transitions. After all, even the most graceful dancer didn’t master their pirouette overnight.

That was the case for me. I used to be more of an evening type. However, as I became a consultant and needed to serve client needs, I shifted toward being a ‘neither’ type, comfortably waking up and being productive during regular business hours.

The Ensemble Piece: Chronotypes in the Workplace

So, how does this biological symphony play out in the workplace? As businesses increasingly embrace remote and hybrid work models, the importance of understanding individual chronotypes has taken center stage.

In a traditional office setting, the rigid schedule often suppresses our natural rhythm. It’s like forcing a jazz musician to play a classical piece – the notes may be right, but the soul is missing. With the flexibility to tailor our work hours to our chronotype, we’re given the freedom to let our productivity sing.

Imagine a team where every member is working during their personal peak productivity hours. Tasks are tackled more efficiently, ideas flow more freely, and the overall performance soars. It’s like an orchestra where every musician is playing their solo at the perfect moment – the result is a harmony of productivity. 

The greater freedom to work during optimal hours for each person helps explain why remote work is more productive, as I explain to leaders when helping them figure out their company’s hybrid work policy. That’s why the best things to do in the office are collaborative activities, mentoring, training, and socializing, while work from home is best for being productive on individual tasks.

Your Productivity Dance Card: Identifying Your Peak Hours

With an understanding of chronotypes, you can now map your productivity dance. Start by keeping a productivity journal. Over a period of a few weeks, jot down your energy levels, focus, and productivity at different times of the day.

You’re looking for patterns. A sustained burst of productivity post-lunch? You might be a ‘neither’ chronotype with a propensity for mid-day productivity. A surge of energy and focus with the setting sun? You’ve got the makings of an ‘owl’. And if you still haven’t figured it out, take a chronotype quiz.

Choreographing Your Day: Leveraging Your Chronotype for Success

Once you’ve identified your chronotype, it’s time to choreograph your dance with the workday. Morning ‘larks’ should tackle complex tasks early in the day, scheduling routine tasks for later. ‘Owls’ might start their workday with lighter tasks, saving their brainpower for their peak evening hours.

‘Neither’ chronotypes might benefit from scheduling their most challenging tasks during their identified peak productivity slots, keeping their workday flexible to accommodate their unique rhythm.

Understanding your chronotype and aligning your work schedule to it is akin to finding your rhythm on the dance floor. When you work in sync with your body’s natural productivity pulse, you’re no longer wrestling with time. You’re waltzing with it.

The Last Dance: Embracing the Flexibility of Today’s Work Landscape

Embracing your chronotype is more than a personal productivity strategy; it’s a testament to the power of flexible work. By discarding the one-size-fits-all approach of traditional work hours, we can harness the unique rhythms of individual employees, boosting productivity, fostering creativity, and promoting a healthier, balanced work-life symphony.

So, go ahead, discover your chronotype, and let the music guide your productivity dance. The stage is set, the rhythm is pulsing, and the spotlight is on you. Are you ready to dance?

Key Take-Away

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Image credit: cottonbro studio/Pexels

Originally published in Disaster Avoidance Experts on June 7, 2023

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Dr. Gleb Tsipursky was lauded as “Office Whisperer” and “Hybrid Expert” by The New York Times for helping leaders use hybrid work to improve retention and productivity while cutting costs. He serves as the CEO of the boutique future-of-work consultancy Disaster Avoidance Experts. Dr. Gleb wrote the first book on returning to the office and leading hybrid teams after the pandemic, his best-seller Returning to the Office and Leading Hybrid and Remote Teams: A Manual on Benchmarking to Best Practices for Competitive Advantage (Intentional Insights, 2021). He authored seven books in total, and is best know for his global bestseller, Never Go With Your Gut: How Pioneering Leaders Make the Best Decisions and Avoid Business Disasters (Career Press, 2019). His cutting-edge thought leadership was featured in over 650 articles and 550 interviews in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Inc. Magazine, USA Today, CBS News, Fox News, Time, Business Insider, Fortune, and elsewhere. His writing was translated into Chinese, Korean, German, Russian, Polish, Spanish, French, and other languages. His expertise comes from over 20 years of consulting, coaching, and speaking and training for Fortune 500 companies from Aflac to Xerox. It also comes from over 15 years in academia as a behavioral scientist, with 8 years as a lecturer at UNC-Chapel Hill and 7 years as a professor at Ohio State. A proud Ukrainian American, Dr. Gleb lives in Columbus, Ohio. In his free time, he makes sure to spend abundant quality time with his wife to avoid his personal life turning into a disaster. Contact him at Gleb[at]DisasterAvoidanceExperts[dot]com, follow him on LinkedIn @dr-gleb-tsipursky, Twitter @gleb_tsipursky, Instagram @dr_gleb_tsipursky, Facebook @DrGlebTsipursky, Medium @dr_gleb_tsipursky, YouTube, and RSS, and get a free copy of the Assessment on Dangerous Judgment Errors in the Workplace by signing up for the free Wise Decision Maker Course at https://disasteravoidanceexperts.com/newsletter/.