It is June, which means the summer of the faculty has come. This is our time to tackle projects we’ve been putting off all year – things that have been piling up in our notebooks and in the back of our minds. Scientific works are presented, plants are planted, works are organized. This is how we really think and for many of us our thoughts turn to optimizing these precious weeks. How do we get it? more from summer? How to get more fun, most of all labor productivitymost of all?
But that’s probably a terrible way to think about this time. In fact, as the focus everywhere is on optimization, we’re trying to do the opposite, especially how we’re doing this summer.
We all hear the talk about trying to be as efficient as possible, removing process friction and checking all the boxes so you can move on to the next thing as quickly as possible. We have a big problem with the all-important productivity indicator. Actually, two problems.
Labor productivity is not always good
First, if you are a person who performs tasks effectively and proactively, you probably already know what your reward will be: more work. Friends, you are fromthe curse of authority.” Because you are good at many things, you are seen as an incredible general. Unfortunately, as a generalist, your chances of being promoted to a role that requires depth may be compromised.
The second issue is related to the nature of efficiency. Often, the most productive workers establish routines that they can reuse, rather than starting from scratch each time. But as we improve by building these routines, we also make ourselves more replaceable. In our quest to defeat the bots, we run the risk of acting like them. Fortunately, the key to avoiding this trap is already hardwired into our brains.
We have a variety neural networks they kick us in the head. An efficient one Task-positive network (TPN) and ineffective Network Default mode (DMN), along with Salience Network (SN), a switch that helps us decide where to focus attention.
TPN loves check boxes. When we engage in goal-oriented tasks and tasks, it becomes algorithmic and active. AI. With TPN, there is no wandering off on a tangent; there is only work. But we need tangents. Tangents are fun! Tangents take us to places we don’t expect, and sometimes that’s where we’re supposed to end up.
We have discussed the importance of the DMN earlier in our article on it you should take your days off. This part of our brain is a little cooler. It likes to dream and slowly put together ideas and concepts. The DMN makes it easy to go down memory lane and makes plans for the future.
DMN is also responsible for helping with our setup stresslower our cortisol levels and process our big emotions, like all of these end-of-semester affective empathytherefore, it is important for our general well-being. For us, the DMN is where we really show our humanity. This is where we engage and create friction. Those sticky friction points are where we learn and grow.
Think about it in meetings at work. A TPN meeting doesn’t mean small talk, just facts, status updates, and transactions. A bot can do these things. DPN meeting creates psychological safety by engaging in conversations that build familiarity and trust between colleagues. With this as a foundation, it’s easier to navigate difficult situations to keep the team on track.
Profitable inefficiency
So how do we take advantage of our inefficiency at work without getting fired? Measure success by understanding, not just speed. Here are some things you can try:
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Turn off your notifications and immediately stop replying to everything. Constant notifications rob your switchboard and make sure your brain is stuck in TPN mode. Plus, quick responses send signals you might not be aware of. why are you so quick to reply? Don’t you have anything else to do? Quick replies are bot-like because they lack subtlety or are not considered. Instead, take a moment to respond when you’re ready using your DMN. This shows that you are a thinker, not just a responder.
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Schedule “down” time. According to research, you should just a space at the same time. Rest is not idleness. You don’t take a break, you engage in high-level synthesis! That’s what smart people do! Also, if you are always in it, you are literally to cut remove yourself from your humanity.
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Be noisy (not literally – or literally – up to you.). Shake things up and ask unexpected questions. The AI tends to converge, so your ability to push things away is valuable because it takes you and your team places you wouldn’t otherwise reach.
Please note: We are not recommending that you become the “Devil’s Advocate” in every conversation (ugh). Instead, ask why things are done the way they are and make suggestions for change. Toyota usually “the five whys approach to the source of the problems of its production process. Not only does this help them identify real problems (as opposed to symptoms), it prevents them from reacting too hastily when things go wrong.
We are getting to the point where the most effective person can be the easiest to replace. So don’t be that person! Optimizing certain tasks or using AI is perfectly fine. We just recommend you to slow down.
Our plans are optimized for summer. We will be ineffective in fun ways, including long walks without headphones, reading books that have nothing to do with work, and boring conversations over long meals. We are deliberately ineffective for our own benefit. We’ll see where our DPNs take us when we get really relaxed.
