I'm a productivity geek with tons of experience in optimizing personal and team workflows.
And this is a problem.
I've always recognized inefficiencies and tried to eliminate them.
But as tech becomes more powerful, we seem to reach a point where "optimizing" requires us to sacrifice a part of our humanity.
There are simple examples of optimization gone wrong.
The other day, I received three comments on a LinkedIn post, all of which were very clearly derived from the same AI prompt. While I am flattered that "I've made it," and my content is already on the radar of those who want to "win big at the comment game," I can't help but let out an exasperated sigh. You can't "win attention with valuable comments" if the "valuable" bit is missing.
But there are less visible scenarios for "bad optimization," too.
When jumping on a Zoom call with a client, you need to under-optimize by including a few minutes of banter to build that long-term relationship.
When writing a content piece, you need some downtime to get the ideas to marinate and mix into new, original insights.
When launching a new project, you need free time to wander aimlessly around your target market, get to know your audience, and understand what people in the industry consider important.
***
You are not a robot, and efficiency shouldn't be the only KPI. Or rather, it should be redefined.
Efficiency isn't about filling up every moment with active work. A half-hour of thinking time can be much more productive than "keeping at it."
Adding slack time to your daily schedule is a massive productivity hack. It will make your content more original and help you recognize opportunities you might easily miss.
Planning for "unproductivity" is better than the alternative.
This applies to creative work, building connections with business partners, planning, research, ...frankly, everything.
Slack matters,
P.S. What's the hardest part of being "under-optimized"? Maybe you fear your manager or team will get the wrong impression, or you have a personal hangup about doing nothing, like I do? Hit reply and let me know!
📝 From the blog
As we're nearing the summer months, we're getting into a slower business cycle—a perfect time for dedicated marketing research and planning. This is why I thought resurfacing this article about customer journey mapping can be useful. Use this process to define or update your understanding of customer paths, and use my template if you want an easy way to systematize this knowledge.
Read the article →
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I hope these put a smile on your face!
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