What is Deep Work?

Walk into an office during the morning hours and you will find a flurry of activity—a cacophony of fingers on keyboards, mouse clicks, and phone chatter. But how much of this frantic activity actually benefits the company? How many of these employees are doing work that requires their full concentration and makes the best use of their skills?

{{cta-contact="/cta-library"}}

What is deep work?

The idea of deep work was first introduced by Cal Newport in a 2012 blog post.

The computer science professor described the concept of deep work as an activity that requires full concentration and is performed without distraction.

Usually, this is not the type of work people do every day. Even if they describe their day as busy, it is typically filled with repetitive, distracting tasks that can be performed with minimal concentration and do not truly benefit the individual or the employer.

Deep work vs. shallow work

Deep work or shallow work is perhaps best described as busyness versus productivity. You can be productive and busy, but being busy does not mean you are productive.

Let's look at a typical workday as an example:

• Checking emails
• Watching a webinar
• Reviewing and confirming tasks
• Copy-and-paste data entry
• Filling out timesheets

This is work, and it keeps you busy. But it is not demanding, does not require your full attention, and you can do it even when you are distracted.
On the other hand, a day of deep work might look like this:

• Drafting a memo to be sent to the entire office
• Creating a detailed proposal for a new project
• Preparing a presentation
• Analyzing data patterns to assess the success of a recent project

This does not mean that shallow work is pointless, of course. You still need to check those emails and attend those webinars. But when these tasks are completed without distraction and with more focus, you can finish them quickly and move on to more demanding and valuable work.

What are the benefits of deep work?

We have already looked at what deep work is and how it differs from shallow work. It is quite clear that deep work gets the job done faster and at a higher level. But there are other benefits to deep work:

• It increases organizational productivity
• Promotes creative thinking
• Stronger employee commitment to their projects
• Improves job satisfaction
• Discourages distracting and unfocused work

How to get started with Deep Work

If you have researched this topic, you may have seen some mentions of strategies. So, what is a deep work technique? It refers to methods you can use to enter a state of deep work.

The simplest way is to clear your workspace of distractions (emails, phone notifications, social media) and tackle a task that requires your full concentration.

There are also specific strategies for integrating deep work into your daily life:

Monastic philosophy

Like a monk, you must set aside all meaningless tasks and focus exclusively on what matters. This requires long, intensive periods of work without any distractions.
Do not be tempted by emails on your computer or social media messages on your phone. Set everything to "Busy" or "Away," use "Focus" mode if you have it, and concentrate on the task at hand.

Rhythmic philosophy

Establish a regular rhythm where you combine deep work with shallow work. This could be a specific day of the week or, preferably, a specific time of day. It will be difficult at first. Your attention will wander repeatedly. Over time, however, you will find a rhythm, and deep work will become second nature to you.

Journalistic philosophy

If you have a busy schedule that does not allow for regular, pre-planned breaks, try the journalistic approach. The idea is to use free time whenever you can get it, whether that means working on a project while everyone else is on their lunch break or spending a few hours at home when the kids are at school.

Bimodal philosophy

Bimodal philosophy combines long periods of shallow work with intensive periods of deep work. It requires a high level of coordination, especially if you work in a team. You need to schedule periods where you are completely free from distractions and can work deeply until your concentration wanes.

How to do deep work in an open-plan office

An average office is a hive of activity, but it is also full of distractions and repetitive tasks. With the constant noise of ringing phones, typing keyboards, and clicking mice, as well as colleagues wanting to chat about last night's game, it can be difficult to focus.

But there are tools that can help, such as Flexopus. Flexopus is a desk-sharing solution that allows employees to book desks, meeting rooms, and parking spaces. This way, they can handle all their shallow work in the morning, book a meeting room for the afternoon, and then complete deep work in peace and with full concentration.

This benefits not only the employees but also the employers, who can enjoy a more productive workforce. They can give their staff the freedom to work without distraction, enabling them to express their creativity and make full use of their skills.

Click here to learn more about our packages and get in touch to book a demo.

Zusammenfassung

Deep work is simply a deeper and more comprehensive way of working that encourages employees to reach their full potential while increasing company productivity. In a world full of distractions and an office full of repetitive tasks, deep work can be a game-changer.

If you walk into an office during the morning hours, you will find a hectic buzz—a cacophony of fingers on keyboards, mouse clicks, and office chatter. But how many of these hectic activities actually benefit the company? How many of these employees are doing work that requires their full concentration and makes optimal use of their skills?