P-time, M-Time and....NO-TIME? ;)

"Hall (1959) first proposed the handling of time as one of the key components of culture. He used the terms Monochronic and Polychronic to describe two basic orientations to time.

The Monochronic orientation (or "M-Time") views time as sequential and linear. Time is seen as being a limited resource which is constantly being used up, and thus scheduling tends to be "tighter," more rigid, with great importance placed on promptness.

From the Monochronic perspective, late arrival for a meeting is viewed as rudeness, and events and activities are scheduled sequentially, one after another, to avoid overlapping. This perspective is oriented to the future.

The Polychronic orientation (or "P-Time") views time in a more "circular" fashion, as the turning of the seasons, and time is seen as renewing itself each year. Scheduling tends to be "loose" and flexible, with many last-minute changes to even highly significant events and activities. Often many activities are juggled simultaneously, and promptness is not considered important. This perspective is oriented to the past and/or present.

Monochronic people are more likely to be task-oriented than relationship-oriented, and may be viewed bypolychronic observers as "valuing things over people."
In contrast, polychronic people are more relationship-oriented than task-oriented and thus may be viewed by monochronic observers as not taking their work and goals seriously.

Monochronic people are likely to feel insulted when a polychronic acquaintance or colleague is late for a meeting;
polychronic people are likely to be offended when a monochronic acquaintance or colleague seems too focused on their work to swap stories about their families or what is going on in the world around them. "


Read about this in Oprah Winfrey's mag. and after taking the written quiz, I found out that I fall in between these two extreme categories...*phew*

So which one are you?? ;)

~to cross the line might be the way across~