Coffivity - ambient sounds to block out noisy open office distractions

I am incredibly fortunate to work in an amazingly well planned and thought out open office and hot desk environment. But even with full focus zones it can be difficult at times to concentrate because of distracting background conversations. If this happens to you and you are like me and unable to work along to music (I find lyrics way too distracting), you might be interested in trying https://coffitivity.com/. It plays ambient sounds ... think library, or cafe (thankfully not whale sounds) to help you block out other noise and focus. I use this app all the time, its a lifesaver.


2 great tips to start your work day on the front foot

Some nice advice from this SMH article: 

Tip 1: start by getting information out, not taking information in:

''One big tip I recommend is to start the day with output instead of input ... instead of taking in information - emails sent to you, favourite coffee, chats with co-workers - try getting work out. Otherwise the problem is you waste time, and by mid-morning you don't feel like doing any more." 

Tip 2: Look at your calendar, not your email first:
"Set up your email system to start up in ''calendar'' rather than ''inbox''. This will draw your attention to what you're committed to doing rather than just absorbing new (and often unimportant) information." 
A few more tips n the article including switching off your email notifications ... but you've done that already, right?

Multitasking. It's not a thing.

I for one am a terrible multitasker. And don't get me started on people who think that I can multi-task just because I'm a woman. Research is showing us that mutitasking is just very fast switching and not very effective. 

Researchers like David E. Meyer, Director of the Brain, Cognition, and Action Laboratory at the University of Michigan, have been warning us for years that multitasking slows us down and makes us prone to errors. 
~ http://lifehacker.com/more-productivity-myths-debunked-by-science-and-commo-514253858

Take more breaks to get more done

Don't feel bad about taking a break to reset and recharge. It's been proven that breaks will actually make you more productive.

This 2011 synthesis paper (full text, PDF) by the International Labour Organization reviewed available research into the relationship between productivity and hours worked. The core conclusion: Longer hours do not make you more productive, and can in fact have the opposite effect: You'll get less done, and what you do get done is never your best work (or has to be revisited or corrected later). The ILO paper isn't the only one on the topic. A similar paper by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (full text, PDF) pointed out that among the 16 of the EU nations, people who worked more flexible hours or jobs that would be normally considered part-time were overall more engaged with and productive at work and happier in their off-time than people who worked more hours.

~ http://lifehacker.com/more-productivity-myths-debunked-by-science-and-commo-514253858

The case for privacy at work

If you find yourself unable to think in your open plan office you may be interested in reading this New York Times article The Rise of the New Group Think that argues the case for private space to be productive and creative. 

Our offices should encourage casual, cafe-style interactions, but allow people to disappear into personalized, private spaces when they want to be alone. 

Research backs it up:

Studies show that open-plan offices make workers hostile, insecure and distracted. They’re also more likely to suffer from high blood pressure, stress, the flu and exhaustion. And people whose work is interrupted make 50 percent more mistakes and take twice as long to finish it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/15/opinion/sunday/the-rise-of-the-new-groupthink.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all&



The pickle jar theory of time management

If you occasionally find yourself busy at work with lots of tasks but feel you are getting nothing done try thinking of your day as a jar with ... pickles in it. Even though this article mixes its metaphors (it talks about pickles then goes on to talk about "big rocks") it offers a really interesting technique to visualise your work day, in this case as a jar, and prioritize your day, by filling it with the biggest tasks first. Email can wait.

By first ensuring that your large priorities are tackled, scheduled, and done for the day, you can then let the smaller but less important things in until you have somehow allowed time in your day for everything you needed to do, while still relaxing and having fun.

For me, the most important tip in the article is to start your day planning what your priorities should be.

Telecommuting - the future ain't what it used to be

via smh.com.au

Productivity versus collaboration. Isolation versus distraction. The pros and cons of working from home and "telecommuting" were making the rounds last week with articles about Google and Yahoo policies. Google, despite enabling its users to collaborate remotely doesn't favour the practise itself. The positions of these companies on the matter are summarised by Asher Moses and Ben Grubb with some additional research facts, stats and links. Here's a sample:

Dr Blount said telecommuting was not a one-size-fits-all solution and in each case a business case needed to be made.
Her research has found that in some instances team members and managers felt reluctant to “bother” teleworkers at home which could hinder collaboration, while at the same time the teleworkers themselves reported being far more productive and satisfied. Some however experienced “social and professional isolation”.

If this is an issue in your workplace read on for more links and references to a Deloitte study "Telecommuting - the future ain't what it used to be" http://www.smh.com.au/it-pro/business-it/telecommuting--the-future-aint-what-...

Want More Productive Workers? Adjust Your Thermostat via Fast Company

Cornell University researchers conducted a study that involved tinkering with the thermostat of an insurance office. When temperatures were low (68 degrees, to be precise), employees committed 44% more errors and were less than half as productive as when temperatures were warm (a cozy 77 degrees).

Cold employees weren’t just uncomfortable, they were distracted. The drop in performance was costing employers 10% more per hour, per employee. Which makes sense. When our body’s temperature drops, we expend energy keeping ourselves warm, making less energy available for concentration, inspiration, and insight.

I am all too aware that my personality changes with the weather. When its cold I am miserable. When its hot I'm all smiles. Seems I'm not alone. The wrong temperature can distract us, contributes to errors and even makes us less friendly. And what does this all have to do with soup? Read on at Fast Company for the details of the university studies.

This article came my way via Mark Neely, who is a great source of links on innovation topics if you're keen to follow on Twitter.

The Kindness Hack

Researchers at Wharton, Yale and Harvard have figured out how to make employees feel less pressed for time: force them to help others. According to a recent study, giving workers menial tasks or, surprisingly, longer breaks actually leads them to believe that they have less time, while having them write to a sick child, for instance, makes them feel more in control and “willing to commit to future engagements despite their busy schedules.” The idea is that completing an altruistic task increases your sense of productivity, which in turn boosts your confidence about finishing everything else you need to do. Catherine Rampell
via nytimes.com

This is from a list of 32 Innovations That Will Change Your Tomorrow - Interactive Feature - NYTimes.com http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/06/03/magazine/innovations-issue.html

It's not that this particular article in interesting -- its that articles like this are appearing more and more often: "Stop Working More Than 40 Hours a Week" via Inc.com

No new facts or research in this article. Just more evidence of a trend to discourage long working hours to promote productivity.

There's been a flurry of recent coverage praising Sheryl Sandberg, the chief operating officer of Facebook, for leaving the office every day at 5:30 p.m. to be with her kids. Apparently she's been doing this for years, but only recently "came out of the closet," as it were. What's insane is that Sandberg felt the need to hide the fact, since there's a century of research establishing the undeniable fact that working more than 40 hours per week actually decreases productivity.

... nobody should be apologizing for leaving at work at a reasonable hour like 5:30 p.m. In fact, people should be apologizing if they're working too long each week–because it's probably making the team less effective overall.
via inc.com