Jobs can often feel like a series of constant interruptions, preventing you from getting “real work” done. There’s an easy way to change that dynamic.
Have you ever felt like the day just slips away. It looked like you had an open block of time to “get some real work done” and then by the end of the day it all went by, and you never got that solid block of time you expected.
Those solid blocks of time are critical. Flow state, colloquially referred to as “being in the zone” lets you go deeper into a problem. Tackling a bunch of quick emails may be something you can do five minutes at a time but to really work through a design or strategy, prepare for a negotiation, or just think about something complex, you need extended thinking time. Even writing up a report or working on code, needs flow time. While at any given moment you may be working on a small piece, a single sentence or line of code, you need to have it tied to the big picture and it takes time to get that entire picture into your mind.
Then poof, you’re out of flow because you got interrupted. Often it might be a phone call, email, text message, or meeting. It can be anything. So how do you protect your flow?
It begins with any change in habit, by tracking what you’re doing. When starting a diet, a good technique is to begin by counting calories. That frozen mocha blend you like every morning is 400 calories! That bagel is 250 calories (more than some doughnuts—who knew?). When you start writing down what you eat every day you suddenly see how that sensible lunch is overtaken by 600 calories of snacks throughout the day. Once you know it, it becomes easier to be more conscious about snacking less, or making different food choices.
We can do the same thing with our work. Keep a log for a week or two. Write down where you’re spending your time. How long are the big blocks of time where you can concentrate on a single task, or on a series of small, possibly unrelated tasks?
You’ll start to find you begin to do some “real work” when suddenly you get an instant message, that leads to a conversation, which leads to an email, and then as long as you’re in your inbox you check some more . . . thirty minutes later you’ve done a lot of things except for that “real work” you had planned. And just as you go back to it, that’s when it’s time for a meeting. So much for work this morning!
Once you have the data, look for patterns. We often have big tasks, small tasks, and overhead tasks.
Overhead tasks are things you need to do that don’t necessarily directly help you with work. Examples include filling out timesheets, going to meetings where you report in to others to keep them in loop (as opposed to getting their input), standing meetings that don’t provide a lot of value, or other things that are necessary, but don’t really move your work forward. I’d even include going to the bathroom or getting coffee. Both things you need to do, but they’re not directly creating value for any internal or external customer or teammate.
Big tasks are your actual main work product. These are the tasks that take time to think through and do. It might be analysis, reports, writing code, reviewing legal documents, or closing sales.
Small tasks are little things that are part of your core job function but may not take much time. Examples include emails, instant messages, phone calls, answering questions for someone who stops by your desk, or other small tasks that don’t necessarily take a lot of mental energy. Note that the lines aren’t clear by task. Sending off a big email that’s core to your function may be a big task, not a small one, even though it’s email. That’s different from emails composed to schedule a meeting or some other minutia.
Now that you see what you’re doing and when, the key is to protect the time you need for those big tasks. In American football, during a play the offensive line works to keep out the defensive line. As the defensive team heads straight to the quarterback in order to sack him, the offensive tackles and guards literally hold the line, giving the quarterback the protected pocket. The quarterback knows he can take some time to assess the field, find the right receiver or decide to run. He doesn’t have to make a quick decision since the offensive line gives him time. “Quick” is relative, since the line may hold for 5-8 seconds, but in football that’s enough.
You may need chunks of an hour or two. To get it, you need to create your own defense line. Since most department budgets don’t have room for a couple of 300-pound linemen to stand outside your office, there are virtual strategies you can employ instead.
Start by blocking off time on your calendar. It might be only 1-2 hours or maybe the whole afternoon. If it’s blocked on your calendar, people are less likely to book something then. Some people have certain days where they come in early or stay late, knowing others won’t be around to stop by or book meetings after 5pm.
Next, put your computer on do not disturb mode to prevent notifications. Close email and messaging apps. Do the same with your phone, silence it or turn it off. If you do need to keep it on, then put it in a drawer or somewhere you can’t just pick it up when you get tempted.
Some people like to camp out away from their desk during this time, maybe in an unused conference room. Consider having the company designate a conference room a “quiet” room during certain times of the day. Like a quiet car used by railways where talking and phone use is prohibited so people can concentrate.
You can even let people know you’re trying this and ask them to give you space. (The exception being if there’s a time sensitive emergency.) Better yet, coordinate this time with others. I’ve implemented quiet times at some of my offices. During this time everyone is focused on their own tasks and knows not to interrupt others (outside of emergencies like a server crash). They don’t have to use it for big tasks, but they know others are. (A good way to start this process is to share this article with others and see what they think.)
You may find mixed results. It’s not uncommon that you may only get a small number of hours blocked off this way if you have lots of meetings, or a culture of being responsive to emails. Even so, some protected time is better than no protected time. As with diet and exercise, it begins by tracking your calories, then changing your routine, and measuring the results. Also, as with losing weight, it may take a few weeks before you start to notice results, so give it some time.
If you try this, let me know how it’s working for you; likewise, if you have any additional suggestions, please share. Good luck!
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