Slow Productivity? Really?
In Support, we are always busy. But are we productive? Cal Newport, the author of Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout wants us to move from busy-ness to true productivity by following three principles:
- Do fewer things
- Work at a natural pace
- Obsess over quality
How would these principles work in a traditionally hectic support environment where we do not control our input (aka customer demands)?
To do fewer things
- Do all you can to minimize case backlogs. Newport talks about “the overhead tax” of having to manage more than a couple of projects at a time (he’s certainly not thinking about support organizations!). We can encourage everyone to manage backlogs tightly and use mechanisms that privilege case “pulling” rather than pushing.
- Automate low-complexity tasks.
To work at a natural pace
- Newport suggest following the seasons, and many support organizations have predictable ebbs and flows. Why not let up a bit in slow times?
- Incorporate rituals into the work day. Scheduled pauses to refresh.
- Schedule protected hours and office hours to allow concentrating on key tasks.
To obsess about quality, use meaningful KPIs that focus on results (quality) rather than activities (busy-ness).
How do you incorporate the principles of slow productivity into your organization? Tell us in a comment.
