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Calm is key
A guide to a happier, more productive workplace
@dankim
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Working in a calm environment
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A little background
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⏰
We have no time to do
our actual work at work
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Constant, unrelenting
interruptions and distractions
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No such thing as a work DAY
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We're working too much
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Overwork is glamorized
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“Could you work 130 hours in a week?” The answer is
yes, if you’re strategic about when you sleep, when you
shower, and how often you go to the bathroom.
The nap rooms at Google were there because it was
safer to stay in the office than walk to your car at 3 a.m.
For my first five years, I did at least one all-nighter a
week, except when I was on vacation—and the vacations
were few and far between.
— Marissa Mayer
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My husband runs a co-working office in San Francisco.
He runs his company out of there and other startups
cycle through.
And if you go in on a Saturday afternoon, I can tell you
which startups will succeed, without even knowing what
they do. Being there on the weekend is a huge indicator
of success, mostly because these companies just don’t
happen. They happen because of really hard work.
— Marissa Mayer
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The results are pretty clear
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It's a vicious cycle
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Change is possible!
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Why is it so important?
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Work is a big part of our lives
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Work is NOT our lives
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How do we fix this?
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Be able to actually do work at work
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Prevent overworking
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Practical tactics and strategies
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Who am I talking to?
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Let's do this!
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Be able to actually do work at work
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Avoid small interruptions!
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Most interruptions are because of
synchronous communication
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I need something right now
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Their flow (and work) is a goner
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⏳
The reality: It can wait
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// FIXME
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There should be
no such thing as ASAP
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Work like you're all remote
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Committing to asynchronous
communications
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No more shoulder tapping
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✍
Write everything down
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✍
It's self-documenting
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It enables the more
thoughtful, quiet voices
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❤
Write heartbeats and kickoffs
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>
Avoid major interruptions!
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>
Avoid meetings!
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Guaranteed to have
too many people involved
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https://app.getpocket.com/read/2364823473
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☝
There's no such thing as
a one hour meeting
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A 10 person meeting is
a 10 hour meeting
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Information imbalance
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They spawn more of themselves
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They're scheduled interruptions
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// FIXME
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Crazy idea: try not having one
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Do we really NEED this meeting?
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J
Apply the three* person rule
* The number that works best for your company
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Plan your escape
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https://hbr.org/2018/06/the-most-productive-meetings-have-fewer-than-8-people
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Try a new way
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https://open.buffer.com/asynchronous-meetings/
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Avoid chat!
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‼
Chat is treated like required reading
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Let's all stand around the water cooler
all day for eight hours
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// FIXME
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Remove any expectation that
chat is required reading
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⚙
Use a slower gear
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Preventing overwork
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https://www.wired.co.uk/article/revolut-trade-unions-labour-fintech-politics-storonsky
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https://www.stltoday.com/business/local/workers-play-and-players-work-at-unusual-st-louis-tech/
article_1e153713-5fd3-5830-be93-f549def163f6.html
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https://www.stltoday.com/business/local/workers-play-and-players-work-at-unusual-st-louis-tech/
article_1e153713-5fd3-5830-be93-f549def163f6.htmls
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https://www.nytimes.com/2001/04/05/business/stinging-office-memo-boomerangs-chief-executive-criticized-after-
upbraiding.html
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https://mobile.twitter.com/dankim/status/1135627135576629248
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It's critically important to
take time away from work
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Your brain needs it
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https://getpocket.com/explore/item/how-to-be-more-productive-by-working-less
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Balance makes you better at your job
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https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/29/opinion/work-relationships.html
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❤
Empathy is built away from work
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// FIXME
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XY ✊
Recognize that
40 hours a week is PLENTY
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Half your waking hours are at work
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Hours != productivity
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https://getpocket.com/explore/item/how-to-be-more-productive-by-working-less
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You're actually worse after 40
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Confine work to work hours
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⚾
Establish ground rules
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Establish a channel for
true emergencies
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Coach the rule breakers
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Take actual vacations
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Forget the bullshit myth
that you must always be learning
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Shape up your projects
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https://basecamp.com/shapeup
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➕☝
Work in six* week cycles
* The number that works best for your company
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Learn to manage the tension between
time, quality, and scope
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Good is relative
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Trust and autonomy
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No backlogs
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Some things to keep in mind
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Is any of this even possible?
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Also, shit happens
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We're glad you love this job because we all
do too, but at the end of the day it's a job.
Do your best work, collaborate with your
team, write, read, learn, and then turn off
your computer and play with your dog.
We'll all be better for it.
— The Basecamp Handbook
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Thank you!
@dankim