We all exhibit our personal styles at work. I usually approach work casually, building in time to improvise during the day. I try to be available to answer incoming calls, respond to e-mails, skim press releases, ponder industry trends, keep up with the latest utility projects and track technology advances. But not every day is alike.

Every now and then, I take a mind excursion. One minute it's lunchtime and the next minute the day is gone. Looking back, those excursions have proven to be quite productive. When I disappear on one of those day trips, it is like I am not even conscious of my thoughts or actions. I am in the zone.

My office neighbor, Mike Eby, has a contrasting style. He's a grinder. Eby doesn't seem to care whether he is enjoying his work or not. He just pounds out work every minute of every day. Eby, the editor-in-chief of EC&M magazine, seldom goes out to lunch, preferring to eat in his office while punching out even more tasks. Eby responds to my entreaties to go to lunch with statements like, “Sorry, Rick. I'm on deadline.”

To say that our styles are different is an understatement. I have deadlines, too, but I seldom know exactly when they are. Eby's a detailed person, almost a perfectionist, often re-working material down to the last minute. I, conversely, don't sweat the small stuff, preferring to move when the mood hits me. Surprisingly, because I'm not time-bound, I'm often quite early with my assignments.

Don't get me wrong. There are days when I forward my phone, stop answering e-mails, shut my door and grind with the best of them. But, I try not to make it the norm. Bottom line, Eby and I have drastically different work styles, but we both love what we do. Eby's approach works for him and mine works for me.

LET THE CREATIVE JUICES FLOW

Unfortunately, too many utilities have bought into the cookie-cutter mentality where individuals are punched through training courses and stamped through corporate-mind think sessions. By the time they pop out of the utility mold, they are ready to be scheduled like interchangeable parts. We've even come up with a term for scheduling manpower: full-time equivalent (FTE). What an insult to take human beings and boil them down to hourly units. FTE is a term I once used, but one I intend never to use again.

I'm sure many of you were trained in the proper use of the Franklin Time Management System years ago. Remember when executives carried leather-bound planners while the rest of us toted our vinyl-covered versions? Armed with my day planner, I organized my work life into task bits. I even ranked those bits in order of importance and urgency.

Maybe the Franklin system helped the more obsessive, detail-oriented individuals be more effective, but it didn't help this Type C personality. I found myself spending inordinate time categorizing and scheduling tasks large and small. And I hated it. I was supposed to feel good at the end of the day when I looked at my to-do list and saw all those check marks next to my completed tasks, but somehow it didn't satisfy. Instead, I found my productivity slipping and work backing up.

Why was I falling behind? Because when I scrupulously executed tasks as scheduled, I was seldom in the zone. Instead of tackling tasks when I was pumped, I found myself twiddling away the day trying to force myself to do something I just didn't want to do.

Today, of course, we all have Microsoft Outlook to routinely schedule meetings and tasks with a few mouse clicks.

THE DILEMMA REMAINS IF WE CONSIDER OUR SCHEDULES TO BE OUR GODS

Significant increases in productivity don't come from cranking up the speed on the task conveyor belt. You might think that routine field work would be an area where tight scheduling is essential, but I would offer that some of the most creative, innovative people I know work in the field. They are always innovating themselves out of a jam, but they need wiggle work to do their magic.

Too many utilities have taken all the spontaneity and fun out of the workplace by hammering down every process into the finest detail. Tasks are scheduled to fill every little bit of free time and then some. With this mindless attention to detail, we are losing our ability to envision a future significantly different than the past. I would argue that giant leaps in productivity come from challenging the status quo and maybe even challenging authority when authority attempts to kill creativity.

I'm all for the myriad tools that help us plan and execute our work more effectively. But let's remember that they are only tools, not task masters. Our industry is made up of real professionals. Let's treat one another with respect, giving each other the space to leverage our individual styles to be more productive. After all, we have yet to devise a system capable of scheduling adrenaline.