Integrating Rhythms

Nature-, body- , inner- and clock- time offer rhythms that are shared and structure social life. Rhythms cannot, not integrate. This is called entrainment. During several centuries human kind developed a conscious integration of rhythms, inventing work hours, school hours, lunch breaks, agendas, holidays and more. Systems-time is challenging the integration of rhythms, since it does not seem to have a rhythm of it self. Human beings, through a methodology of trial and error, find solutions to integrate different rhythms they are confronted with. Different kinds of time merge necessarily in personal, social and collective experience of time. When working in distributed teams using technology to comunicate and collaborate, organizing a shared rhythm is crucial for keeping communication and business processes in flow. Simple things, like one well structured meeting online a week, generates trust and well being for all involved. When working in different time zones adaptation to others, at the expense of personal time, has to be taken into account. In small businesses people benefit from the fact that distributed work on a day-to-day basis facilitates personal life styles for those involved. Finding the ultimate rhythm between people’s personal time given the work that has to be done, is crucial for success.