Here is a new article from WorkLife talking about “splitters” and “blenders” in terms of work style. In essence, a “splitter” is someone that draws hard lines around work and personal time, and from 8:30am until 4pm, all they do is focus on work. This is the “I eat lunch only twice/week, at my desk” crowd. If you read articles that attempt to equate athletes and coaches to white-collar paper pushers, this is the Bill Belichick model: When you’re in the building, you focus on work and nothing else.
Blenders are people who blend their day between work and personal — so they answer emails, then walk the dog. They do three straight video calls — then watch a 20-minute Hulu show. They work until 3:30pm, go to their daughter’s select soccer game, and check some email at 10pm.
I would assume most people are blenders, especially if they have kids, friends, aging parents, pets, or just want to have some semblance of balance throughout a day.
It’s harder, but not impossible, to be a blender in an office environment —
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