Productivity: September 2009 Archives

We all have a lot of obligations these days--not just at our jobs, but in our private lives--to our families and to our so-called "personal brand," our commitments to organizations as well as individual pursuits such as fine-tuning specific skills with classes so we can remain at the "top of our game." But that's just it--sometimes all of these obligations feel like a game, and leave us overwhelmed. This can drain your energy and make you generally useless to family, friends, and of course, co-workers. So, how do we stop this "obligation overload," or at least mitigate the effects of it?

1. Take a "Think Week." Twice a year, Bill Gates takes a week by himself to ponder business and employee insight in a cabin somewhere in the Pacific Northwest. This week of "mapping ideas, [and] grilled cheese, and orange crush" as one Wall Street Journal article described it, is crucial to the functioning of Bill Gates. And if it's good enough for him, it's good enough for you. Think about taking a week somewhere--anywhere--to re-focus and re-charge. I've wanted to do this myself for a long time, but I've never been able to do a full week. In 2010, I'm going to change that.
2. "Unplug" on a regular basis. This doesn't mean "unplug" from just email for a few hours a day and then brag about it to everyone who emails you with an auto-reply, a process Peter Shankman described. It means unplug from everything for a period of time each day--not just email. Stop answering/obsessively checking your BlackBerry or iPhone. Pull yourself away from the television or Twitter and engage with real people about something other than your goals. Ask them how they're doing. We spend so much time "engaging" in the digital world that we don't put enough of a priority on doing it in the real one. This is becoming an issue for a lot of folks. Take control of it.
3. Remind yourself of your priorities. I have a lot of professional goals. You probably do, too. But do you have personal priorities? Big, lofty ideals about who you want to be as a person or do in life (that's not work-related)? If not, try to think of some because it will not only change your perspective--and thus decrease obligation overload--but it will bring added meaning to your life and challenge you. These priorities may change, and that's ok.
4. Realize you are not your "personal brand." This is crucial to avoiding "obligation overload." If you wake up and think, "I've got to get on Twitter and check out what people are saying about me today!" then you're headed down the wrong path. How do I know this? I've done it myself. It's good to be concerned with how you're perceived, but if you're constantly worried about what others think about you, you'll cave into pressure to do everything.
5. Find a hobby. Yeah, yeah, I know you're probably thinking, "I don't need another thing on my to-do list!" but I don't mean pick up a hobby that's related to your job or some other over-arching life or career goal, I mean pick up a hobby that's a stress reliever for you and only you. Whether that's getting in a bike ride for just thirty minutes once a day or taking a couple of hours on the weekend to paint or take a walk and really think, find something that's all about you and allow yourself to that every week. When you're trying to get a lot done, it's amazing how much taking some time alone clears your mind and re-charges you for other activities. The key is not to feel bad about taking the time away from others. In the long run, you'll decrease obligation overload and be more fun to be around anyway.

Although a company's culture is mostly an abstract concept, real, physical things such as a company's physical plant and design can play a significant role in shaping its unique culture. The way a space is designed and enhanced can influence productivity, general outlook, and a lot more. There are many companies out there that sell expensive furniture and chairs to make an office better, but really these just help business achieve standardization in terms of the look of the space, but don't give it any heart.

It's no secret that some of the so-called "coolest companies to work for" such as Google, Apple, and Yahoo have spent millions to create fun, interactive work environments. I've even seen some companies do totally insane things, like build a three story slide in their offices.

But what about small companies with smaller budgets? With our limited budget and small space, we've not gone to any extremes (yet) but we have added things that represent us and our culture. From the Nintendo Wii Room with Astroturf on the floor to the Relaxation Room that was built by employees in an unused office, all of these additions add personality and depth to the work environment. They also allow people to put their own "stamp" on their workplace. Since we spend a lot of time in our offices, that's really important.

Maybe some of these extreme workspace makeovers will give you ideas for what you can create at your own company:

• Red Bull, London. Indoor slide, conference room ping pong table, and reception desk that looks like a skateboard ramp.
• Google, Mountain View, California. Volleyball court, swimming pool, and scooters.
• Fog Creek Software, New York 200 gallon fish tank.

What are the common themes in these and many other cool office environments? Lots of glass (perhaps to evoke transparency and authenticity), no cubes or very low cubes, snacks, fridges filled with drinks, and entertainment options. If you've got a large budget, you can also have cafes, real restaurants, and maybe even a convenience store on-site for employees' needs.

What makes your office unique? What cool, interesting, and fun things have you created for your environment? What have you seen at the coolest offices? Also, are these gimmicks or actually a representation of their culture?