The Case for Designing Work Around Circadian Rhythms

About this episode

Stefan Volk discusses the importance of aligning work schedules with individual circadian rhythms to enhance team productivity and collaboration.

Are you a morning type, a night owl, or somewhere in between? And what about the people on your team? When do they feel most energized and productive? Stefan Volk, professor of management at the University of Sydney Business School, says that leaders need to pay more attention to their own and employees’ circadian rhythms because they have a big impact on performance. While forcing everyone into the same schedule can lead to conflict, mistakes, and burnout, carefully planning tasks around individual energy peaks enhances collaboration not only during overlaps but also when people are apart. He offers practical advice on how to get all chronotypes working well together. Volk is author of the HBR article "Tapping into Your Team's Circadian Rhythms."

People in this episode

Guest: Stefan Volk

Topics covered

• circadian rhythms
• work design
• team productivity
• management
• employee performance

Keywords

• circadian rhythms
• productivity
• teamwork
• management
• energy peaks

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Sydney Business School

Books & works: Tapping into Your Team's Circadian Rhythms

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