Employees often work best in non-office environments, but companies expect them to be at the central office with distractions.
Offices lead to "work moments" rather than focused work due to frequent interruptions from managers and meetings.
Suggestions include "no-talk Thursdays", more passive communication tools, and canceling unnecessary meetings to allow for longer uninterrupted work periods.
Meeting Notes:
The Challenges of the Office
Companies expect employees/volunteers to work at a central office location with furniture, computers, and amenities.
However, people often do their best creative work in other environments like homes, coffee shops, libraries, while commuting, or at certain times of day like early mornings or weekends.
The Reality of Work in the Office
People don't have long uninterrupted stretches of time at the office, as Jason Fried explains.
The office leads to a "work moments" mentality rather than focused workdays.
Creative professionals like designers, programmers, writers, engineers need long periods without interruptions to do deep work, which is often lacking in offices.
The Main Distractions in the Office
Jason Fried states the main distractions are not voluntary ones like social media, but rather involuntary interruptions from managers and meetings.
Managers frequently interrupt employees, while meetings disrupt workflow and productivity.
These involuntary distractions are the real issues, not websites that some companies try to block.
Suggestions for Improving the Office Environment
Implement "no-talk Thursdays" - an afternoon of silence once a month to allow focused work without interruptions.
Shift from active in-person communication to more passive communication via email, chat, collaboration tools.
Cancel unnecessary meetings to give employees longer uninterrupted stretches to work.
Photographer's Perspective
Jason Fried is a photographer who works flexibly and remotely.
As a creative professional, Jason Fried prefers using a physical keyboard for certain tasks like emailing, rather than just a touchscreen.