Entrainment
Organizations need regular 'entrainment' signals - consistent meeting times, predictable schedules, clear work-rest boundaries - to synchronize teams.
Entrainment is the process by which external cues (zeitgebers) synchronize internal biological rhythms to the environment. In mammals, light is the primary zeitgeber: blue light (480nm wavelength) hits specialized melanopsin-containing retinal cells (not rods and cones used for vision) that send signals directly to the SCN via the retinohypothalamic tract. Without this daily light signal, the internal clock free-runs at about 24.2 hours, causing a 12-minute daily drift that would rotate completely around the clock in two months. Light exposure in the morning advances the clock (useful for eastward travel); evening light delays it (useful for westward travel).
Business Application of Entrainment
Organizations need regular 'entrainment' signals - consistent meeting times, predictable schedules, clear work-rest boundaries - to synchronize teams. Remote work challenges entrainment by removing social zeitgebers like commute times and lunch hours.