BUSINESS STRATEGY
Busy vs productive
So many of us conflate being busy with being productive . Of course , this is understandable . If it feels like you ’ ve spent the whole day with your hair on fire , chained to your desk , you ’ d probably be a little affronted if someone accused you of not being productive . But unfortunately , that accusation might just be correct . While all the digital trappings of the modern workplace have , in some ways , made communication and work more seamless than ever before . They come with their own set of problems , too .
For example , it ’ s all too easy to spend a day flipping between email , instant messaging and video calls . While this level of on-going interruption and communication might occasionally be warranted , most of the time it gives us a false sense of ‘ getting on with things ’ while we ’ re actually achieving very little . So , while doing less might sound bizarre advice on the surface , it can actually just mean turning the volume down on the digital noise so you can focus better on the work that matters .
Avoiding burnout
A concept we more commonly characterise as prioritising . Unfortunately , many of us confuse having a to do list with being able to prioritise . True prioritisation is an active skill , and it requires a lot of plate spinning in order to be handled correctly . That means considering more than just deadlines , but also the value of the work , the time it will take and how many stakeholders are involved .
It also means protecting your priorities once you have them . If you jump to respond to every email as and when it comes in , you ’ re unwittingly cutting into the natural flow of your concentration – a dangerous thing to do when it takes the average person more than 23 minutes to refocus after a distraction . In this way , doing the bare minimum also means prioritising quality over quantity ; ensuring that the work you ’ re doing is done well , rather than rushing through a large quantity of tasks .
Saying ‘ no ’ more
Saying no can be difficult , and many people confuse agreeability with a good work ethic .
We hear the term ‘ burnout ’ bandied about a lot these days . Sometimes its overuse means we stop taking stock and reflecting on just how serious workplace burnout can be . Ultimately , well-being is essential for good work . You ’ re not going to produce your best ideas or be at your sharpest when you ’ re also exhausted from overworking . This is one of the key reasons we should make space for thinking , rather than steamrolling through our day without taking time to pause and breathe .
This is especially important in the age of hybrid work . While being able to work from home and from the office should give us the best of both worlds , when it ’ s executed poorly it can also manifest as the worst of both . Research from Microsoft has proven that back-to-back video calls can cause stress to build up in the brain , while regular breaks give the brain a chance to cool down so that it can function at its best . In other words , taking some breathing space throughout your day will actually enable your brain to work at its best so you can produce better work .
Clear priorities
Here ’ s the other thing about doing the ‘ bare minimum ’ – when you really interrogate it , what it really means is doing what has to be done .
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