Optimising Productivity

Technology demands our attention in every waking moment. We tend to believe the problem lies with us - “Why can’t I focus!?” - but really, it’s a symptom of a much deeper problem. Our brains are, quite simply, overstimulated. 

Rather than seeking to maximise the potential of every waking moment, let’s instead focus on how we might slow down a little, taking back control of our time by eliminating distractions and letting our brains focus on one task at a time.

So where do you start? Let’s look at some of the rituals that have helped our teams at Frankli maximise our focus.

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Audit Where you Spend your Time

Whether we’re coming at this from an individual perspective, the team, or a company as a whole, it’s fair to say we’re busier than ever before. But where does our time go? A great place to start is to map out exactly that - audit where your time and focus go at the end of a working week. 

Ask yourself:

• How much deep work did you get done?
• Was your attendance at every meeting essential?
• Are there any low-value tasks that could be abandoned, outsourced or restructured?
• Are there any routine tasks that could be automated?
• What else prevents your ability to stay on task?
• Do you need to use your time differently next week?

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These questions help you iterate and improve.

Build Time Blocks

Neuroscientists have officially busted the myth of multitasking (10), so we can all stop pretending that it’s possible to respond to an email and discuss a new project at the same time. At times like this, what we're actually doing is context-switching, and it’s a real productivity killer. 

We desperately need daily routines that allow us to focus on one thing at a time. It can help to order your day in 15-minute time blocks - 15 minutes to respond to emails, 30 minutes for a meeting, 45 minutes for a series of small tasks, 120 minutes for a single, time-consuming task etc. Be sure to build breaks into your day to keep your concentration sharp. 

Some swear by the Pomodoro technique (11) - 25 minutes on, 5 minutes off - while others prefer the 52-minute/17-minute rule (12).

Do the Hardest Things First

Putting off your most demanding tasks or those uncomfortable conversations affects your creative flow. Over time, these pressing items will end up impacting every aspect of your work. 

Instead, ask yourself, “What if I tackled this head-on?” Dealing with the hard things first creates a more sustainable and long-term approach to productive work. In doing so, you usually realise the task wasn’t as bad as it first appeared, giving you a quick dose of dopamine to fuel your next task.

Planning and Estimation 

There’s nothing more demoralising than constantly missing deadlines. It’s not good for productivity or stress levels. 

Instead, take a more conservative approach. Double the time you think it’s going to take. Plan for the unplannable. It’s always better to smash through a project deliverable with time to spare than be on the wrong end of an overdue project.

Group Similar Tasks Together

Your brain is not a computer, it’s a single processor. It works best when we focus on individual tasks, tackle similar tasks together, and process them simultaneously each day, week or month. 

Master your Timing

Think about your energy stores and your ability to focus - when are these strongest? For many people, it’s early in the morning, but for others, it might be the late afternoon or evening. 

Once you identify your peak focus times, you can start scheduling high-value tasks or tasks requiring high concentration. For example, I find I’m much more alert and focused early in the morning, so that’s when I will schedule creative work such as writing or product design. 

Your people should, of course, be supported to do the same.

Increasing Deep Work Hours

There’s a significant difference between work hours and uninterrupted work hours. If you largely spend your time in meetings or on calls, or responding to emails and Slack messages, you won’t get much else done during the day. When work is always unfinished, you never get a chance to switch off, which quickly impacts your productivity, health and personal life, leaving insufficient time for rest.

The only way to nip this feeling of dread in the bud is to audit your current workload and block out hours in your calendar for deep work. Let colleagues know to pause non-urgent communication during these times. You can do this by creating an event in your shared calendar, updating your status on Slack to Do Not Disturb or going offline - it’s all about finding a rhythm that works for you and your teams.

Finding your Place

Temperature, air quality, lighting, and noise can all affect our productivity, so it’s important to choose your surroundings carefully. 

There’s no correct answer here. Some may find they’re most productive in an enclosed office with a “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door, while others thrive in a bustling coffee shop. The key is finding what works best for you and empowering your people to do the same. 

Changing location when you switch tasks can be really helpful. Some employees find that sitting in the same chair every time they perform a certain task provides a handy subconscious trigger to get to work. 

Reduce your Work Hours

There’s great global momentum around the 4-day working week pilot (13), and for a good reason. 

Shorter workdays and workweeks enable deep focus instead of performative multitasking, encouraging workers to avoid workplace distractions. In fact, when a Toyota factory in Gothenburg cut its workday by two hours, workers produced at 114% of their previous capacity, and the factory reported 25% higher profits (14).

Moving to a 4-day workweek is something we‘ve embraced here at Frankli, and I have certainly witnessed the benefits. The 4-day week has improved productivity, brought a renewed focus, and, most importantly, positively impacted how our people feel about work.

Leading a Productive Workplace

While the tips on this list are largely geared towards individuals, leaders can positively impact the organisation by encouraging managers to coach their people on productivity best practices. 

One thing to remember is that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to productivity - supporting our people to do their best work requires flexibility and accepting that people on the same team may benefit from wildly different rituals.

As a founder or a leader responsible for effective change, it’s important to remember that we can’t just lift and shift an office-based approach to remote or distributed working and hope it works. We need to be intentional about what we measure. When we focus on outcomes, we deliver real business value that our customers can benefit from.

We need to give people more autonomy to get things done and respect focus time and deep work. In a time of constant distraction, we may need to rewire our thinking on what it means to be productive.

Leading a productive workplace should always start with oneself. When we’re intentional about what we measure, how we communicate, and the expectations we set, great people find their own rhythm and follow suit. 

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Action Points:

Immediate Action Points: 

• Run an employee survey on productivity, including an open-ended question prompting suggestions for how to improve.

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30-Day Action Points:

• Compile a list of ideas for enhanced productivity, based on employee contributions.
• Communicate the above list at your next All Hands meeting and ask for feedback.

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90-Day Action Points:

• Choose a handful of productivity initiatives to implement. 
• Communicate the initiatives to your people, emphasising their potential value.
• Encourage managers to coach their people on productivity best practices.

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