1 00:00:04,440 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to How I Work, a show about the tactics 2 00:00:06,760 --> 00:00:08,879 Speaker 1: used by leading innovators to get so much out of 3 00:00:08,920 --> 00:00:11,840 Speaker 1: their day. I'm your host, doctor Amantha Imber. I'm an 4 00:00:11,920 --> 00:00:16,079 Speaker 1: organizational psychologist, the founder of innovation consultancy Inventium, and I'm 5 00:00:16,079 --> 00:00:19,880 Speaker 1: obsessed with finding ways to optimize my work date. Now, 6 00:00:19,920 --> 00:00:22,759 Speaker 1: before I get into today's mini episode, I wanted to 7 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:25,360 Speaker 1: share something fun that I'm going to be doing on 8 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:28,560 Speaker 1: September nineteen, twelve noon that you might want to get 9 00:00:28,560 --> 00:00:31,880 Speaker 1: involved in. So I get a lot of emails from 10 00:00:31,920 --> 00:00:35,199 Speaker 1: people every week asking me all sorts of questions ranging 11 00:00:35,280 --> 00:00:38,600 Speaker 1: from topics I want me to cover on the podcast, 12 00:00:38,800 --> 00:00:43,199 Speaker 1: how Inventium's unlimited leave policies, going general career advice, how 13 00:00:43,200 --> 00:00:45,080 Speaker 1: to gain momentum for an idea, and so on. So 14 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:47,240 Speaker 1: for the first time ever, I'm going to be running 15 00:00:47,640 --> 00:00:51,239 Speaker 1: Alive Ask Me Anything webinar event. So I'm going to 16 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:54,000 Speaker 1: be setting aside forty five minutes at twelve noon on 17 00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:57,440 Speaker 1: September nineteen, and I'm going to be going through as 18 00:00:57,960 --> 00:01:01,440 Speaker 1: many answers as I can to questions from you that 19 00:01:01,520 --> 00:01:04,800 Speaker 1: I can fit within that time. So literally no topics 20 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:06,960 Speaker 1: are off limits, so you know, I might cover things 21 00:01:06,959 --> 00:01:10,360 Speaker 1: about creating an innovation culture, trying to create the world's 22 00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:14,080 Speaker 1: best workplace unlimitedly, even how to do it well, my 23 00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:17,680 Speaker 1: daily habits and rituals to improve performance, my favorite apps 24 00:01:17,680 --> 00:01:20,320 Speaker 1: and gadgets, how to start a podcast, going from being 25 00:01:20,560 --> 00:01:23,040 Speaker 1: a manager to a maker. Whatever you like. Really, so 26 00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:26,560 Speaker 1: I would love to have you join us. I think 27 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:29,080 Speaker 1: if you like the podcast, you'll really enjoy this ask 28 00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:32,680 Speaker 1: Me Anything event. And what's great is once you register, 29 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:36,160 Speaker 1: you can then send me as many questions as you'd 30 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:38,119 Speaker 1: like me to answer, and I'm going to be trying 31 00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:41,679 Speaker 1: to get through as many as possible. So to book 32 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:44,400 Speaker 1: yourself a place and it's totally free to book in, 33 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:47,040 Speaker 1: and I'll link to this in the show notes as well. 34 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:51,240 Speaker 1: Go to bitley so bit dot, l y forward slash 35 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:56,320 Speaker 1: a month AMA. So that's a month that AMA one word, 36 00:01:56,440 --> 00:01:58,160 Speaker 1: So I link to that in the show notes. I 37 00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:02,600 Speaker 1: would love to have you join in and ask a 38 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:05,320 Speaker 1: question and hopefully I can help with the answer. Now 39 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:09,000 Speaker 1: on to today's mini episode, which is about how to 40 00:02:09,600 --> 00:02:13,160 Speaker 1: use your work location to improve performance. So, if you 41 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:17,960 Speaker 1: see Professor cal Newport walking around the streets of Tacoma Park, Maryland, 42 00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:21,240 Speaker 1: you might mistakenly think that he's simply taking a break 43 00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:25,320 Speaker 1: or walking from his home to his office at Georgetown University, 44 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:28,440 Speaker 1: but what he's probably doing is trying to solve a 45 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:32,880 Speaker 1: theoretical computer science proof. After publishing the New York Times 46 00:02:32,880 --> 00:02:37,320 Speaker 1: bestseller Deep Work, Cal Newport realized that different types of 47 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:41,680 Speaker 1: deep work benefit from different locations and routines. So Cal 48 00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:44,760 Speaker 1: defines deep work as the ability to focus without distraction 49 00:02:44,880 --> 00:02:48,000 Speaker 1: on a cognitively demanding task. But given most of us 50 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:51,079 Speaker 1: spend our days in a blur of email, instant messenger, 51 00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:53,440 Speaker 1: and social media, he argues that many of us have 52 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:57,440 Speaker 1: lost the ability to do deep work. What Cal told 53 00:02:57,440 --> 00:02:59,200 Speaker 1: me when I had him on the podcast a few 54 00:02:59,200 --> 00:03:03,000 Speaker 1: months ago is said he differentiates between the different types 55 00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:06,560 Speaker 1: of deep work, which is actually an innovation that came 56 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:10,360 Speaker 1: after the original book came out, and he realizes that 57 00:03:10,919 --> 00:03:15,840 Speaker 1: different types of deep work benefit from different types of rituals. 58 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:19,240 Speaker 1: So what Cal does is at home, he had a 59 00:03:19,320 --> 00:03:23,120 Speaker 1: custom library table built that was reminiscent of the tables 60 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:25,160 Speaker 1: at the university library where he used to work as 61 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:28,600 Speaker 1: an undergraduate, complete with brass library lamps next to the 62 00:03:28,720 --> 00:03:31,760 Speaker 1: darkwood bookcases. He told me that he has a ritual 63 00:03:31,760 --> 00:03:34,320 Speaker 1: for writing where he clears off the whole desk and 64 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:37,880 Speaker 1: just has those bright lights shining right down on this 65 00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:41,800 Speaker 1: custom desk and it's just him and the computer. For 66 00:03:41,800 --> 00:03:46,680 Speaker 1: former managing partner of Global Innovation Consultancy INO Site, Scott D. Anthony, 67 00:03:47,040 --> 00:03:50,760 Speaker 1: he has several offices outside his formal one in Singapore 68 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:53,160 Speaker 1: where he can get into deep work or what he 69 00:03:53,200 --> 00:03:56,440 Speaker 1: calls maker time. So what Scott told me when I 70 00:03:56,480 --> 00:04:00,240 Speaker 1: had him on the podcast is that basically these other 71 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:04,440 Speaker 1: officers involve the conscious removal of himself from anywhere. Well, 72 00:04:04,520 --> 00:04:08,200 Speaker 1: he'll be tempted to get back into a manager mode. 73 00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:12,520 Speaker 1: So airplanes are one of the places where Scott's productivity skyrockets. 74 00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:16,360 Speaker 1: He says that airplane time, if you manage it with discipline, 75 00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:20,360 Speaker 1: is tremendously productive for him and for Scott, one of 76 00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:23,560 Speaker 1: the keys to making this time productive involves getting onto 77 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:26,240 Speaker 1: the plane with a defined task that is working on, 78 00:04:26,320 --> 00:04:29,360 Speaker 1: such as crafting a new presentation or writing a chapter 79 00:04:29,440 --> 00:04:32,040 Speaker 1: of a new book. It's basically looking at that chunk 80 00:04:32,080 --> 00:04:34,280 Speaker 1: of time and his calendar is a real gift and 81 00:04:34,480 --> 00:04:38,080 Speaker 1: he then goes and works on that activity. Scott also 82 00:04:38,160 --> 00:04:41,200 Speaker 1: tries to clear the decks as much as possible pre flight, 83 00:04:41,960 --> 00:04:44,400 Speaker 1: he needs to know that there's not a pressing deadline 84 00:04:44,440 --> 00:04:47,440 Speaker 1: for a manager related activity that's sitting over his head, 85 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:50,400 Speaker 1: because if it is, even if his time is allegedly 86 00:04:50,440 --> 00:04:53,000 Speaker 1: focused on the maker task, his brain is going to 87 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:56,440 Speaker 1: be buzzing with the manager focused activity. And then finally, 88 00:04:56,440 --> 00:04:59,800 Speaker 1: for Scott, he'll deliberately choose flights that don't have Wi Fi. 89 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:03,240 Speaker 1: He says that once the phone is connected, it's just 90 00:05:03,279 --> 00:05:06,120 Speaker 1: really hard to help yourself and put it away. But 91 00:05:06,160 --> 00:05:10,080 Speaker 1: if you remove yourself from temptation, you really have no choice. 92 00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:12,640 Speaker 1: And when he's back on the ground in Singapore and 93 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:15,880 Speaker 1: trying to work on a task requiring deep focus, what 94 00:05:15,960 --> 00:05:19,640 Speaker 1: he does is he basically removes himself where anywhere where 95 00:05:19,640 --> 00:05:21,960 Speaker 1: he'll be tempted to get back into manager modes. So 96 00:05:22,320 --> 00:05:25,040 Speaker 1: you definitely won't find him sitting in the office doing 97 00:05:25,080 --> 00:05:27,240 Speaker 1: deep work, and instead you'll find him at a Starbucks 98 00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:30,760 Speaker 1: or Costa Coffee or the America Club. And basically, when 99 00:05:30,760 --> 00:05:33,000 Speaker 1: he's in that mode, he knows that after ninety minutes 100 00:05:33,040 --> 00:05:35,720 Speaker 1: his energy begins to go down, so he'll do a 101 00:05:35,760 --> 00:05:38,200 Speaker 1: sprint at say Starbucks for ninety minutes than the America 102 00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:40,240 Speaker 1: Club for ninety minutes, and maybe even a session at 103 00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:44,440 Speaker 1: the pub for ninety minutes. Now finally, Award winning filmmaker 104 00:05:44,520 --> 00:05:47,840 Speaker 1: Natasha Pinkus, the director behind Gattie's Somebody That I Used 105 00:05:47,880 --> 00:05:50,760 Speaker 1: to Know music video clip, looks for opportunities to build 106 00:05:50,760 --> 00:05:53,640 Speaker 1: the physical environment into her day, especially when working on 107 00:05:53,680 --> 00:05:57,760 Speaker 1: a writing project where she's largely sedentary. As an example, 108 00:05:58,080 --> 00:06:01,000 Speaker 1: Natasha conducts the majority of her own meetings while walking 109 00:06:01,080 --> 00:06:03,640 Speaker 1: because she has better fluency of thought when she's moving, 110 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:05,800 Speaker 1: and it's also a great way to get her steps up. 111 00:06:06,440 --> 00:06:09,200 Speaker 1: What Natasha also does is then deliberately builds in breaks 112 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:13,000 Speaker 1: of repetitive movement to break up time spent sitting down writing. 113 00:06:13,320 --> 00:06:16,000 Speaker 1: So she'll do a domestic task because it allows her 114 00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:18,360 Speaker 1: to switch off the relationship between her mind and her 115 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:21,920 Speaker 1: fingers typing. So she loves repetitive actions and domestic tasks 116 00:06:21,920 --> 00:06:24,479 Speaker 1: because it allows her to take the pressure off herself 117 00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:27,400 Speaker 1: to produce something, and instead she feels liberated to just 118 00:06:27,520 --> 00:06:29,920 Speaker 1: dream and think, so she'll often put that in between 119 00:06:29,960 --> 00:06:32,560 Speaker 1: a writing session to help break up her thinking. So 120 00:06:33,080 --> 00:06:35,520 Speaker 1: for you, while the office was originally designed as the 121 00:06:35,560 --> 00:06:38,560 Speaker 1: place where people go to work, there is clearly merit 122 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:43,360 Speaker 1: in thinking outside of the office for boosting productivity. That 123 00:06:43,480 --> 00:06:46,080 Speaker 1: is it for today's show. If you liked it, if 124 00:06:46,080 --> 00:06:49,120 Speaker 1: you found it useful, then why not spread the word 125 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:51,719 Speaker 1: and share this episode with someone that you think could 126 00:06:51,880 --> 00:06:56,039 Speaker 1: benefit and enjoy your work day today, perhaps working from 127 00:06:56,040 --> 00:06:58,839 Speaker 1: somewhere other than the office. That's it for today and 128 00:06:58,839 --> 00:06:59,960 Speaker 1: I will see you next time.