The Case for Designing Work Around Circadian Rhythms

Are you a morning type, a night owl, or somewhere in between? And what about the people on your team? When do they feel most energized and productive? Stefan Volk, professor of management at the University of Sydney Business School, says that leaders need to pay more attention to their own and employees’ circadian rhythms because they have a big impact on performance. While forcing everyone into the same schedule can lead to conflict, mistakes, and burnout, carefully planning tasks around individual energy peaks enhances collaboration not only during overlaps but also when people are apart. He offers practical advice on how to get all chronotypes working well together. Volk is author of the HBR article "Tapping into Your Team's Circadian Rhythms."

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The Case for Designing Work Around Circadian Rhythms is an episode from HBR IdeaCast by Harvard Business Review.

This episode is 25:35 long.

This episode was published on Apr 7, 2026.

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