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It’s Time to Embrace Slow Productivity

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Summary

This article looks at the idea of Slow Productivity and its potential benefits. It explores the idea of a 32-hour workweek, which has been proposed by California Democrat Mark Takano, but argues that reducing hours may not be enough to reduce burnout for knowledge workers. It suggests that what is needed is a movement to reduce the volume of work assigned to individuals, and outlines strategies for implementing this approach by managing work that is not yet assigned. It also discusses how this idea might be applied to other economic sectors and suggests that autonomy is a key factor in reducing burnout.

Q&As

What is the Thirty-Two-Hour Workweek Act?
The Thirty-Two-Hour Workweek Act is a bill introduced by a California Democrat, Mark Takano, that amends the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act to reduce the federally recognized standard workweek from forty hours to thirty-two.

What have recent polls found about the amount of stress experienced by American workers?
Recent polls have found that American workers are among some of the most stressed in the world, with a significant increase in those describing themselves as feeling burnt out “often” or “almost always”, particularly among women.

What is the movement of Slow Work?
The Slow Work movement is an effort to reduce the length of the standard workweek, either by government declaration or by more enlightened corporate policies.

What is the difference between workers of 1938 and workers of today?
The major distinction between the typical worker in 1938 and the typical burnt-out office worker of today is autonomy. In 1938, workers had little control over what they did during their shift, while today, workers have almost total control of how they fill each minute.

How can Slow Productivity help reduce stress and burnout among office workers?
Slow Productivity can help reduce stress and burnout among office workers by keeping an individual worker’s volume at a sustainable level. This can be done by managing work that is not yet assigned, logging tasks into a system where they can be properly prioritized and assigned when the right person has the needed time available, and setting aside time each day for completing small tasks and answering quick questions.

AI Comments

👍 This article provides a great insight into the causes of burnout and the need for Slow Productivity to alleviate it. The research and examples cited are very informative and provide a clear explanation of the problem.

👎 This article fails to provide any concrete solutions to the problem of burnout in knowledge workers, instead offering vague suggestions of reducing work volumes. The advice given is not actionable and fails to provide any real guidance.

AI Discussion

Me: It's about the potential benefits of reducing the standard workweek from 40 hours to 32 hours, and how that could help address the growing problem of burnout among knowledge workers. It also discusses a concept called "slow productivity" which is all about reducing the volume of work that is assigned to individuals, so that it's not overwhelming and they can actually get stuff done.

Friend: Interesting. So what are the implications of this article?

Me: Well, it suggests that reducing the length of the workweek is not enough to address burnout. It's also important to reduce the volume of work that individuals are assigned to make sure that it's manageable and that they can actually accomplish it. It also suggests that employers may need to implement systems to manage work that isn't yet assigned, and to make sure that everyone is on the same page and that work is being given out in a fair and balanced way.

Action items

Research the Slow Productivity movement and its potential benefits for knowledge workers.
Reach out to colleagues and discuss ways to reduce the volume of work assigned to each individual.
Implement systems to manage work that is not yet assigned, such as kanban-style boards and shared sign-up sheets.

Technical terms

Fair Labor Standards Act: A federal law that sets standards for minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and child labor.
Iceland: A Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean.
Zoom Class: A term used to describe the group of people who are working remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
McKinsey: A global management consulting firm.
Lean In: A nonprofit organization founded by Sheryl Sandberg to empower women to achieve their ambitions.
Gallup Poll: A survey conducted by the Gallup organization to measure public opinion on a variety of topics.
In Praise of Slowness: A 2004 book by journalist Carl Honore about the various “slow” movements around the world.
Slow Food: A movement that began in the 1980s to reject the “fast life” and call for a revolution in slowing down that would begin in the kitchen.
Slow Cities: A movement to promote sustainable urban development.
Slow Medicine: A movement to promote evidence-based, patient-centered medical care.
Slow Parenting: A movement to promote a more relaxed approach to parenting.
Reductio ad Absurdum: A type of logical argument in which a statement is disproved by showing that it leads to an absurd or logically unacceptable conclusion.
Kanban-Style Board: A type of project management system that uses visual cues to track tasks and progress.