The Hidden Cost of “Got a Minute?”: How Managers vs Makers Clash.. and How to Fix It.

Christopher Shepley
Feb 27
4 min read

“You free tomorrow morning?”

I glance at my calendar—blank as a fresh canvas. I could squeeze it in, but I’d earmarked that time to chip away at a big project.

“Uh, yeah, I’ve got some gaps. How long are we talking?”

“No more than an hour. 10 a.m. work?”

“Hey, John connected us—want to grab coffee this week?”

I don’t really need anything right now, but I don’t want to seem standoffish.

“Yeah, I can probably make it work.”

“Great. There’s this spot—[ADDRESS]. How’s 2 p.m.?”

“Sounds good. See you there.”

These little exchanges? They happen millions of times a day. They seem harmless.. quick, casual, no big deal. But here’s the catch: for some people, they’re ten times more expensive than they look. Let me break it down.

Two Worlds, Two Calendars

There are two kinds of workers: Managers vs Makers. Each has a radically different relationship with time, and when those worlds collide, productivity takes a hit. Let’s start with the one most people know: managers.

Managers: Time as Currency

Managers slice their days into neat 30 or 60 minute blocks, 10 to 20 slots to play with. Each chunk has a purpose: a meeting, a call, a check-in. Their work thrives on directing people, gathering info, making decisions, and keeping things moving. They talk to everyone, juggle a dozen tasks, and clock out when the last slot’s done.

For them, an empty slot is a missed chance. Time is money, and “free” means “fill it.” Booking a meeting costs them nothing but a quick calendar sync. On paper, it’s a win.. two people ticking off tasks. Their goal? Pack the day tight and maximise those chunks. Fair enough.

Makers: Time as a Canvas

Makers are a rarer breed, and their numbers are dwindling. They’re the ones who create; think writers, designers, engineers, anyone building something from scratch. Small slots don’t cut it for them. They need big, unbroken stretches; half-days, full days, to get into the zone. That might mean just 1 or 2 chunks a day, 10 to 14 a week if they’re lucky.

Their work looks consistent on the surface; same desk, same tools, but the output? Always different. They pour in effort (keystrokes, sketches, code) and wrestle with unpredictable results. A 30-minute block rarely wraps anything up. They start at a set time but finish when the work’s done, or when their brain’s fried. They’re “open to goal,” not punched in and out.

Here’s the kicker: a lot of their work doesn’t even look like work. The real grind happens in their heads; solving problems, cracking puzzles, figuring out the “how” before the “what” shows up. I once spent six months just nailing the table of contents for my second book. That’s maker territory, doing what hasn’t been done, or at least not in a way you can copy.

Switching tasks? It’s brutal. A quick meeting shatters their flow, splitting a precious block into useless fragments. Say a 10 a.m. chat lasts 30 minutes—suddenly, a morning chunk becomes 2 hours and 1.5 hours. Neither’s enough to dive back in. Poof—there goes a whole unit of work.

Worse, there’s this thing called the Zeigarnik effect: unfinished tasks stick in your mind like burrs. For managers, it’s handy as it keeps them on track. For makers, it’s a parasite. That afternoon meeting? It looms all morning, pulling focus, forcing clock-watching, derailing the deep work they live for. Their goal isn’t to fill slots.. it’s to protect them, to hoard blank space for uninterrupted creation.

The Managers vs Makers Clash

Managers vs Makers can coexist.. until they try to sync up. A manager sees a 30-minute slot as a cheap win. “It’s just half an hour.. what’s the fuss?” But for a maker, it’s a wrecking ball. That “quick catch-up” costs a manager one tiny unit and a maker an entire block, 10 times the hit.

If a manager pushes for a meeting, the maker’s stuck. Say no, and they risk offending someone, souring a relationship or future collaboration. Say yes, and they’re saddled with a pointless interruption that yields nada. Managers assume everyone works on-demand, like they do. But most of the world runs on manager time, leaving makers scrambling to adapt, working late nights or early mornings just to carve out peace.

The irony? Managers checking in can stall the very work they’re tracking. The maker lags, the manager doubles down, and both lose. It’s a trap, and it’s everywhere. But it doesn’t have to be.

The Fix: Three Fronts

We can solve this by tackling it from all angles; managers, makers, and the organisations they’re part of.

To Managers:

Get the Cost. When you book a maker, you’re not just snagging 30 minutes—you’re torching a whole block. Coordinate while they’re working, and you’ve already dented their focus. Know their work isn’t yours. Meetings cost them 10x more. Doesn’t mean never meet.. just make it worth it.
Respect the “No.” If a maker turns you down, don’t take it personally. They’re guarding their real deliverable; the project you both care about. See it as loyalty, not a snub.

To Makers:

Recruit Your Managers. Good ones want to help, give them the tools. Share this article. Explain your rhythm. Sometimes, you’ll lose a day to meetings flip to manager mode. Stack admin tasks, get feedback, rack up wins. Save your real blocks for later.
Block and Defend. Set fixed “meeting windows” and stick to them. Most requests can wait. I do mornings for making, afternoons for managing anyone can grab me after 1 p.m. Bonus: schedule late-to-early so your maker time stretches.
Set Expectations. Tell people when you’re off-grid and when you’ll reply. They’ll adapt if you’re upfront. No surprises, no stress.
Deliver. Blank calendars are only yours if you produce. Slack off, and you’re not a maker.. you’re a liability. You’ll tank your cred and drag every maker down with you.

To Organisations:

Mandate Quiet Zones. Carve out no-meeting chunks; daily hours or full days for teams with makers (engineers, writers, creators). Let them breathe.
Spread the Word. Share this with everyone. Give makers and managers a shared language to spot waste and stop it.

Why This Matters

I wrote this to name something that’s haunted myself and countless makers for years. That innocent “got a minute?” carries a hidden price tag. My hope? Makers can hand this to the people they work with and say, “This is me. This is why.” Because their work.. the stuff that moves the needle, deserves to thrive, not just survive.

By Christopher Shepley

CEO & Managing Director | IDYL Marketing