Yes, Yes… we’ve all been there. Email after email, meeting after meeting, slack after slack, call after call and 9 hours (or worse!) go bye… and you’ve accomplished nothing 😢 (outside of putting on pants. Maybe.). That day turns into a week. Then you have to work the weekend instead of 🍹, 🚬 & 🕺 all night! (not in public... it’s still Covid) Damn. So called “knowledge” work has its perks; however, the endless amount of communication is mentally exhausting and often unnecessary. 40 hours of work is actually 25 hours of bullshit with 10 hours of work and 5 hours of online shopping. Productivity is sapped, collaboration is limited.
Unfortunately, there’s no silver bullet. Turn off your notifications, sign out of email, block of your calendar, say “no” blah blah blah — that doesn’t work if company expectations and culture demand that you’re available at a moment’s notice. And even though leaders may want to change this, it’s very difficult. Sorry, no dice🎲.
But Why?? 🙋
The issue isn’t technology, it’s processes, systems, thinking, and people. People lack discrete and concrete objectives; processes are undefined; managers are stuck in their ways; and systems are designed to reinforce the status quo. So to get things done, people email you and need your attention; OR, they slack you and channels (a bit better); or there are hour Zoom meetings with 10 ppl (instead of 5 min between 3 ppl). Waaaaay too much interaction. (I mean I like you… but not like that 🤧)
Solving the myriad of issues requires management intervention. Cal Newport, CS Prof at Georgetown, has written extensively about this subject — read more here. He suggests companies take the example of how software is developed 👨🏽💻. Structured, optimized, transparent. Work in distraction-free sprints on a specific task, use virtual boards to show what everyone is doing, and plan early to understand what tasks need to be accomplished. Then focus and work.
As life continues (hopefully 🤞) and remote work becomes a norm, we may be at a precipice where management will have to tackle the hard stuff of fixing how work actually gets done. Naturally, being in an office with face to face interaction can help alleviate some of the distraction that comes with ‘knowledge work’. However, working from home turns us from people to an email, slack handle, Zoom zombie 🧟♀️. Chaos ensues with the lack of friction. We need workflow innovation.
Barely it exists, but probably not a bad business idea…
https://www.chieflearningofficer.com/2020/02/13/it-all-starts-with-workflow/
https://www.gigx.com/experience/fractional-chief-workflow-officer
Nothing to do with the above
I read this article about how we’re all liars (truth). Supposedly, there are 4 types of liars based on the above 2x2 diagram. Which one are you…?
I think we fall in all of those depending on the situation. But I guess the best one to be is delusional 🤪. It’s a stepping stone to senility, which I can’t wait for. It seems refreshing… ignorance is bliss.
Actually there is a Connection
Our $.02 — If you’re consistently overworked and frustrated with your job, the reason is very likely that the organizational design of how work is accomplished is f*cked. Don’t lie to yourself (either you’re delusional or demoralized). Things will likely not change without some kind of external shock ⚡. Find something better.
Maybe I should stop living my life on the philosophy of Seinfeld, do something better, be better…then again, perhaps Kramer was onto something…