the shower time test
where do you go when you don't have to be anywhere?
“He told the story of how the concept of "shower time" was introduced to him by a colleague who claimed that you really know you have got your employees' attention and dedication when you have their shower time.”
- Michaelson, C. (2005). "I Want Your Shower Time!": Drowning in Work and the Erosion of Life.
I came across this passage while I was working on other related research and it got me thinking. The passage is meant to highlight the idea that some bosses do not respect the fact that employees have lives and interests outside of their work, and that not everyone wants to give their all to their work.
Shower time, in this quote, is meant to be the time you have when you can’t focus on other work, when your mind is relaxed and wanders. If a boss “has your shower time”, then even when you are performing the innocuous activities of daily living, your mind is unconsciously crawling over the issues you are dealing with at work. In other words, you have no time in your life during which you are not thinking about work-related issues. For Michaelson (and many people), this is a bad thing.
Indeed, it is a bad thing if you do not love your work, and you feel like you cannot be free from the requirements of your work, even in these quiet moments. It is an especially bad thing if you are mulling over work problems out of fear of your boss. But for those of us who truly love our work, shower time is a great time to come up with new ideas and new solutions. When the body is relaxed and the mind has some simple task to accomplish and is thus distracted, the subconscious often finds new insights that the conscious mind may struggle with for hours.
Shower time is, in a sense, a test of what you are most passionate about. Where does your mind go when it has the freedom to wander? Does your mind go to your work? To your hobbies? To your family challenges? What problems is it trying to solve when it is in that most creative mode of mildly distracted boredom? Likely, whatever it is, this is where your heart is. It is also likely where you should be spending more of your time and energy.
Citation:
Michaelson, C. (2005). "I Want Your Shower Time!": Drowning in Work and the Erosion of Life. Business & Professional Ethics Journal, 24(4), 7-26.