Space and Time

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Space and Time

December 5, 2008. By Peter Lloyd

Why are creative people never on time? My friend, Ernie, one of the most creative people I've ever known, was never on time. You see, when Ernie said he'd meet me at 11, it meant he'd think about leaving sometime before noon. It drove me crazy until I learned to adjust my clock.

What's the big deal about time, anyway? Over-eager project managers keep reminding us that time is money. Einstein proved that time is relative. Who do you believe?

The CEO of a company known for its revolutionary technical breakthroughs and decades of impressive annual growth says creative people shouldn't have to worry about things like being on time for meetings. In his words, "Truly radical thinkers have a hard time even getting to work!" Like my friend, Ernie, they work more in space than in time.

Well, how do you get results from people like Ernie?

Give creativity time. Try to build your schedule around the arrival of the solution. It's like waiting for a train. No matter when it's due, you really shouldn't step off the platform until it arrives.

Allow ideas to incubate. Staring at the ceiling and playing football in the hallway is part of the creative process. If you make your creative people fill out time sheets, make a column for "goofing off."

Legend has it that Archimedes discovered the law of specific gravity while taking a bath.

Adjust your attitude about time, and you'll find that working with people like Ernie can be very productive.

Don't worry, they won't always be late for meetings. Sometimes they won't show up.

Peter Lloyd is co-creator with Stephen Grossman of Animal Crackers, the breakthrough problem-solving tool designed to crack your toughest business problems.

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