We set out to build a company that helps teams make the most of their time. Why? Because there are a lot of problems to tackle. Not to blow things way out of proportion here, but we believe that there is a direct connection between how we plan our weeks to the progress we make on tackling the biggest issues on the planet. (Think about scalable and affordable healthcare, eliminating poverty and the impending climate disaster, to highlight a few).
And, closer to home maybe: if we work on things that are important, whatever that is for you, it will make you feel good.
Here are five elements of work we believe are key to get more important things done:
We are all very tempted to jump from interruption to interruption, while real progress happens when we are able to put our heads down and write, build or sketch. And on top of that we believe that to do better work, we need to be able to immerse for longer stretches without being disturbed.
When work can happen without being dependent on being in the same room at the same time by default, good things happen. We can work on our own schedules. We can work from wherever we want. We are forced to be with our own thoughts more and write more. It's no longer the loudest voice in the room that wins automatically.
Scheduling is complicated, because there are so many factors to take into account. Collectively, so much time is wasted when finding time, and often time suggested is in no way aligned with what would be the best possible time for everyone involved.
Also: think about the time we spend waiting because people you need are not available. Shuffling meetings around to make time for something more important should be hassle free.
Our wellbeing should not rely on being disciplined enough to stick to our boundaries, or being blessed with a fantastic manager. Protecting the boundaries of those around us should not be guesswork. Whether you want to spend more time with the kids, or want to work through the night: you should be able to do what works best for you without worrying about the rest.
OKR's, SMART goals, Big Rocks and targets: for so many they trigger a negative response. Tools like that are often used as a stick to do more in the same time, instead of being helpful guides to improve prioritization and eliminate things that are not important in the long run.
If we want to leverage all the extra manpower we reclaim by working on our own terms, next we need to explore how we can radically improve the link between what we think is important for the long term with the actual day-to-day work.