Time culture

A meeting in Berlin begins almost exactly on time. The same meeting in São Paulo? People are still arriving, chatting, easing in. Both groups think they’re being respectful. One clock, two completely different cultures of time. Which one feels more “normal” to you?

Now zoom out from those meetings and look at the whole workday. Time isn’t just *when* you show up; it’s *how* you stack, slice, and protect your attention. Some teams treat the day like a carefully plated tasting menu: one course at a time, precise portions, clear sequence. Others run more like an open buffet: multiple dishes at once, people circling back, improvising combinations as they go.

Neither approach is random; both grow from deep assumptions about control, relationships, and what “being productive” looks like. In strongly task-focused cultures, blocking a two‑hour chunk for solo work feels responsible. In relationship-focused cultures, being constantly interruptible can feel equally responsible.