As the inventor of basecamp, many of you probably already know of Jason Fried.
His TedTalk, why work doesn't happen at work, is very thought provoking, and makes me want to do something! Not sure I can wrap my brain around everything he says, but my 3 take-aways:
- A typical work day is not structured to support work getting done, if anything the opposite! He calls it "Cuisinart" work and says it is impossible to be creative in 15 minute increments
- Work, like sleep happens in stages, and we need large blocks of uninterrupted time to be able to work through the stages involved in order to actually get something accomplished
- When asked where they go to get work done, most people leave the office and go home, coffee shop, etc in order to get something done.
For three years, I worked out of my home as a consultant, and it was one of my most productive times. Working a six hour day, I got more done than any 8 or 10 hour day spent at the office. Also, I was better able to attend to my physical and social health because I had a lot of choices about how to use my day.
Is there more we can do to support creative work getting done (and minimize the time we all spend at home in the evenings/weekends to catch up?!) What do you think?
I know for myself that 8-10am seem to be my most productive work hours but that is also the morning slot that gets taken up with "settling in" - things like morning chat and email checking. I like morning chat but I also like getting work done! I wonder about working from home some mornings, but I have a psychological barrier that if no one can see me working why would they think I am?
ReplyDeleteI would also like it if pets were allowed in the office - I'd be way more productive :-)
ReplyDeleteIncrease your productivity! Here are some links:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifehack/5-ways-to-improve-your-productivity-in-the-office.html
Or possibly try jumping jacks:
http://lifehacker.com/5501963/jumping-jacks-increase-productivity-at-the-office
This one is for you Sarah:
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/pets-and-productivity-does-having-an-animal-in-the-office-make-you-a-better-worker.html
Heighten your mood:
http://www.nancyhausauer.com/2011/04/18/happiness-increases-productivity/
Enjoy!
I definitely get the most creative work done at home or while traveling. At the office, I'm most productive outside of meetings, via one-on-one relationships with people, or alone between 4-7pm when the meeting calendar is over and the natural hustle & bustle of the office is quieting for the day.
ReplyDeleteThings that boost my creativity are: lots of time for deep/wandering brainstorming, wide open spaces for spreading out and visualizing ideas, surrounding myself with inspirations/mentors/art, and an active/mobile office (not being stuck sitting in cubes).
The ying to the free-spirited yang is that I thrive with certain restraints on my creativity... some of the things Natalie linked to above. Things I benefit from are: 1) a clear vision so I can prioritize what's important (focus and say no), 2) feedback and lots of it, 3) efficient project management where clear action steps are attached to timelines with goals and then monitored, 4) sufficient staff and leadership for the scope of work so we don't each take the world on and can trust others with pieces of the vision.
Also, I like to blast music and dance (seriously a 2min dance party invigorates like nothing else).
Also.. below I pasted a couple recent creativity articles I've liked. Most are from digg or blogs, but our friends at KW2 have a rad track record of posting on this topic via their Twitter stream @kw2ideas if you're not following them yet.
ReplyDelete8 Ways to Foster Innovation at Your Company [Inc Magazine]
Creativity - A Special Report [Success Magazine]