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By Tom Sheehan
Those workers that are able to burn the midnight oil may also have a reputation for creativity, but recently published research by HBR suggests that early risers are more likely to make significant progress on their long-term goals. So this brings to mind the question, who will make a better CIO or senior IT professional - the night owl or the early to bed early to rise type? In addition, do morning people have a professional advantage over others?
The answer may be yes. As part of research published last year by Harvard Business Review, biologist Christoph Randler found that people who were most energetic in the mornings were more likely to identify long-range goals for themselves and feel in charge of making things happen. Other research has shown that such people get better grades in school.
While night owls tend to be more creative, "they're out of sync with the typical corporate schedule," Randler told HBR. "When it comes to business success, morning people hold the important cards."
The following are some reasons why:
Building momentum
Accomplishing things in the morning sets off a "cascade of success," says Shawn Achor, author of The Happiness Advantage. Start your day by writing down three things you are grateful for. Then engage in activities such as exercising or sending a quick email to reconnect with a family member or friend. By enjoying these activities he finds that "if thinking about things you're looking forward to, that makes it easy to get out of bed." Then, "once your brain records a victory, it's more likely to take the next step and the next step." If your first major victory comes at 10 p.m. but your boss expects you to be at an 8 a.m. meeting, there's just not much time for getting things done. So CIOs should look to record early successes in the day, no matter how small they may be.
Know the limits of will power
There will always be a reason not to exercise at 5 p.m. A growing body of research suggests that will power functions like a muscle. It fails when used too much. By putting important-but-not-urgent activities like exercise, religious practices, or strategic thinking early in the day, you can knock these tasks off your list before your will power is exhausted by boring meetings or the siren song of the office vending machine.
Minimizing distractions
Working early in the morning can minimize the number of distractions you will have to deal with so you can work more effectively.
Clearing the way for family time
If you start work earlier, you may get done earlier, giving you a chance to spend the early evenings with your kids before they go to bed. Particularly for families with school-aged children who have to get on the bus early in the morning, evenings may be the only time everyone can be together.
According to Laura Stack, a time management expert and author of SuperCompetent: The Six Keys to Perform at Your Productive Best. "The key is to be aware of what time you're at your highest energy level, because your brain is capable of doing higher-level activities in that range compared to other times during the day."
CIOs Should Decide
Whenever you're at your best, that's the time to focus on critical decisions, problem-solving or brainstorming activities, or anything requiring complex or detailed thought. Whatever you do, "Resist the urge to do fun, easy, trivial things or talk to your friends during your prime times," says Stack. "The trick is self-discipline," just as with rolling out of bed at 6 a.m.
Are you a night owl or a morning person and where do you find you operate most successfully?
Cross-posted from myITview.com
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