On the factory floor, productivity increases are relentlessly implemented, often without regard for worker satisfaction.
For people working with a laptop, though, they are often seen as optional lifestyle choices instead of ways to significantly boost how much we can get done–and the satisfaction that comes with time we control.
If you work on your own, your productivity choices are up to you. But when you involve others in your project, the default should be to honor the habits of the most productive member of the team.
Here are some proven ways to save hours of wasted time. You’re probably doing many of them, but they’re still treated as options by many. In rough order of importance:
- Don’t invite someone to a meeting if an email or 1:1 conversation will do the job just as well.
- Don’t fly if you can show up virtually and get the job done.
- Instead of asking a group of people when a good time to meet might be, use a doodle.
- Send a calendar invite when you book a time.
- When you get stuck, first ask Claude, then ask a human.
- Show up on time. Leave when the work is done.
- Default to using shared docs (like Google docs) for any collaborative work.
- For repeated tasks, make a checklist. Update it and share it as you go.
- Respect synchronized time. If you can put it in a video instead of saying it live, please do.
We’ve all seen well-meaning people disregard all of these points in a single interaction. Multiply that by the number of people involved and you’re in a time swamp.