What Do You Need To Do Your Best Work?

As a leader, self-awareness and self-management are key capabilities to develop. One element of that is to know how you do your best work.

I've talked previously about the need to create time in your schedule for planning and reflection, and if you're going to do some thinking, strategizing, or focus work, you'll need to create the right conditions for you to be successful.

So how might you go about doing that?

Time

Firstly you need to create the appropriate time, without interruptions. This means doing the unthinkable and closing your email and chat clients. I know. You'll be ok.

You won't be able to concentrate if you're constantly being pinged with 'quick questions' and emails that don't require immediate attention. These things will cause your context to shift and break your concentration and flow.

The other aspect here is being aware of when you do your best work. Is it first thing in the morning? Just after lunch, or at the end of the day? If you don't know already, conduct some experiments - do a couple of weeks of focus blocks at different times of day and see where you feel most effective.

Context

What context do you do your best work in? In the past few years there's been a big shift away from traditional office work to hybrid and full remote models. Which of these ways of working is most productive for you?

Side note: Much as companies try to have a one-size-fits-all approach, I believe that different individuals work better in ways that are suited to them. Some love the bustle and interactivity of an open plan office. Others prefer a quiet focus space. Some prefer to get out of their 'home' context to get in a work mode, others can't bear being around distracting people all day. All of these are valid. The important thing is to know what works best for you.

For some people being at home is very difficult, with kids or family members providing a distraction. For others it's the exact opposite - the office environment is full of distractions and they work better at home in a potentially more comfortable space.

Do you like having music on? For me if I'm trying to be creative I often have jazz on in the background (currently Wynton Marsalis' Uptown Ruler from Live at the Village Vanguard), but I can't have anything with words. It has to be instrumental or I lose focus on what I'm doing.

Maybe you work better in quiet. Again, if you're not sure, conduct some experiments and see how you get on. Try different kinds of music, or perhaps explore some ambient soundtracks.

Make sure you have the right tools for the job

Creating a Good Environment

Whether you're hybrid or working remotely full time, do your best to create a good remote work environment. Many people have ended up in their current home office setup almost by accident - after all, the events that precipitated the big move to remote were sudden and many short-term solutions have inadvertently become long term.

If possible, use a separate room so that you can differentiate 'work' from 'home'. Make sure you have a proper desk and chair, get an external monitor (or two) so that you're not hunched over your laptop all day.

There was a recent (albeit small) study where participants judged the competence and trustworthiness of people based on their video call backgrounds - plants and bookshelves were rated the highest, and living room, blurred living room, and novelty backgrounds rated the lowest. There might not be a lot to this, but it's something to bear in mind based on the impression you want to create.

So, if you have to do meetings and presentations from your home office environment, think about how you might come across to people on the other end of the video call. Get a decent camera and microphone / headphone setup. Clean up your video background...if you're using the spare bedroom perhaps clear up the piles of laundry from behind you. Think about lighting - you don't need to go mad, just make sure that you can be seen clearly.

People vs No People

Depending on the kind of work you're doing you may want to work with someone or go it alone. Again, this comes down to personal preference. In a previous role I used to have regular brainstorming whiteboard sessions with my boss in his office - it was a way for us to talk through problems and generate ideas that seemed to be productive for both of us. As a natural introvert I needed time to recharge after these sessions but I always found them extremely effective and enjoyable to boot.

One of my roles as a coach with my clients is often to act as a thinking partner and listening post. Sometimes discussing a topic out loud can help to generate ideas that might have been slower to come otherwise.

Some areas of productivity might be better approached alone - for example when I'm writing or creating a presentation I might discuss some of my ideas with others but when it gets down to the nuts and bolts of it I just have to put on some Marsalis and get on with it.

In summary, no matter what work you're doing, having an awareness of what you need in order to be your most effective or creative will serve you well in the long term. If in doubt, conduct some experiments and see how you get on.

When you're ready, I offer 1:1 coaching for leaders who are looking to take their life and career to the next level. Send me an email and we'll set up a time to have a chat.

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