Fluidity Over Rigidity
Your Org Chart Is Fiction: Designing for Human Rhythms
Humans aren’t machines. Our physical energy fluctuates hourly due to circadian rhythms (Foster, 2020), and our emotional capacity shifts daily influenced by the HPA axis. Yet, we persist in designing organizations like clockwork factories, ignoring these biological realities.
The rhythm revolution
An organization I advised implemented a schedule aligned with biological rhythms:
Peak Cognition (10am-12pm): Dedicated to deep work only.
Relational Window (3pm-5pm): Allocated for coaching and feedback.
Integration (Fridays): No meetings, reserved for reflection.
This alignment resulted in a 30% faster innovation rate (HBR, 2024) and a 64% drop in burnout symptoms.
Three steps to honor fluidity
Conduct a rhythm audit: Track energy, focus, and mood hourly for a week to identify personal and team rhythms.
Design seasons, not sprints: For example, designate periods for experimentation (spring) and integration (winter).
Normalize flux language: Replace “Behind schedule” with “I’m in contraction” to acknowledge natural fluctuations.
Research
Circadian Neuroscience (Foster, 2020)
HBR (2024)
