How to engage in focused work

“The ability to perform deep work is becoming increasingly rare at exactly the same time it is becoming increasingly valuable in our economy. As a consequence, the few who cultivate this skill, and then make it the core of their working life, will thrive” 

Cal Newport

If I were to ask you to draw a circle and split it into two representing the proportion of time you spend on deep and transformational work versus the proportion of time you spend on surface and transactional work, what would it look like?

 For most people it feels like a depressingly small slither of their time pie is spent on anything that really matters and makes a lasting difference. In fact, most people say that this proportion has become even smaller since the beginning of the pandemic and there’s no sign of the tide turning. 

How does this leave us feeling? For many of us the growing response is exhausted, as we’re constantly running from issue to issue, never really getting anywhere. Research found that 67% of employees experienced burn out in 2020 (Gallup), 84% were stressed (Stress in America) and 53% were unhappy at work (Conference Board). 

 Yet not only are we exhausted and stressed but we are demoralised and unfulfilled and far from feeling like we are thriving. 

People have had time to reflect since COVID hit and are starting to rewrite the blueprint for what matters most in our lives. That small slice of the pie no longer seems acceptable. Rather than running around in reactive chaos we want to transfer our COVID reflections to create careers that matter to us and the planet.

 Maybe that’s why a Microsoft survey found an incredible 40 percent of the global workforce are considering leaving their jobs this year. Time will tell what proportion will make the move but the numbers are already showing they are on the up. 

 So what do you do if you know your people are struggling but you want to hold onto them? 

Focus First

To do deep work, we need to be able to focus and in a world that is chronically distracted that is becoming increasingly difficult.

 Our cognitive capacity is fixed, meaning there is only so much that we can process at any one time so reduce the complexity that employees need to navigate every day. Cut through the noise for your teams and create the culture and structures that allow them to focus and feel a sense of achievement and fulfilment. Whether it is meeting free days, clear and achievable objectives or streamlining workloads, make it easier for your teams to focus on the work that matters. Your teams want to work hard for you, but you need to make that possible. 

Shared purpose

What matters most to your employees and how does that align with what your organisation is trying to achieve? If you can find the intersection of these two points, you are onto something incredibly powerful. When we are fuelled by passion and purpose our output soars without any hint of feeling drained or burnt out. Help your employees relate to your organisation’s purpose, align their actions to it and feel fuelled by it.  

Prioritise Recovery

When we constantly expect our employees to push through a day without breaks, we can’t be naïve enough to think there aren’t long term implications. Energy is the currency we should be focusing on, not time, and when we help our people to manage their energy inside and outside work, they will be fuelled to do deep work like never before. We are designed for short sprints not marathons so equip them with the tools for understanding and managing their energy; they will get so much more output than before which is a win win all round.  

Lead openly from the front

Rather than denying the challenges your organisation is facing, own them. Be vulnerable enough to talk with your teams and let them feel they can not only share their challenges but also their ideas for making change.  Our largest asset is our people so let them help and see the benefits that you can reap collectively. 

Undeniably we are stepping into a different world to the one we left pre-Covid but maybe there’s a real silver lining. Together, we have an opportunity to create a working world where deep work takes up a much larger slice of the pie and individuals, businesses, communities and the planet at large can reap the rewards.