Bruce Daisley

Bruce Daisley, Vice President of Twitter Europe and host of the business podcast Eat Sleep Work, puts his expertise on the page in his new book Eat Sleep Work Repeat.

Using advice from experts in psychology, economics and behavioral science, and citing in his extensive bibliography popular books like Susan Cain's Quiet, Atul Gawande's The Checklist Manifesto, and Sheryl Sandberg's Lean In, Daisley has 30 hacks to help people become more productive and happier at work.

The book is divided into three sections- Recharge, which has advice to make you more productive, Sync, which is geared towards team building, and Buzz, which gives the reader tips from successful teams.

Recharge is the section most relevant to individuals at work, and the section that I found most helpful. The first suggestion begins with multiple studies that posits that the popular "open plan" design of offices, where everyone works in cubicles and no one has offices, doesn't work well. Daisley's conclusion is that the noise and constant distractions of the open plan office create massive amounts of wasted time.

Studies show that people who work in open plan offices take "significantly more sick days", and that when they are at work, they are interrupted an average of every three minutes by coworkers with questions. (That reminds me of being a mom of a toddler.)

Younger workers tend to use headphones at work, a habit that older workers find offensive. However, studies show that people wearing headphones actually allow workers to concentrate on their tasks without being interrupted. Daisley suggests that headphones be allowed for part of the day, say in the morning, and then following the lunch break, no headphones are allowed, which encourages people to share ideas more freely.

Contrary to popular belief in many industries, like finance, working more hours doesn't mean that more work gets done. Dailey cites studies that have concluded that the human brain is hardwired to make a certain number of decisions per day and once you reach that limit, you can't make any more. The quality of decisions made after working more hours decreases significantly.

Daisley has also concluded that we should complete our most complex tasks before lunch, when our minds are freshest. Taking breaks are important, and he suggests taking a walk during lunch or even holding a meeting during a walk with colleagues can be productive. A change of scenery and fresh air can refresh the mind as well as the body.

Some suggestions Daisley has for employers include cutting the number of meetings in half, having dedicated meeting-free days, and hosting an alcohol-free "Happy Hour" in the office at the end of the week with snacks and beverages to encourage people to interact with colleagues (although he does mention that this may be unfair to parents who have to get home to children).

I found Eat Sleep Work Repeat to be an interesting read, both from the viewpoint of employees and employers. Daisley aggregates several studies, and uses his own vast experience, to share ideas that can make our workdays less stressful and more productive. Everyone can find something useful here and I recommend it.

Thanks to TLC Tours for putting me on Bruce Daisley's tour.… (mer)