A World without Email - Actionable Book Summary

A World Without Email by Cal Newport describes the current unproductive world of knowledge work. Newport coins the term hyperactive hivemind to describe how current offices work, constantly receiving and sending communications which leads to a flurry of interruption for work and flow. His recommendations for how to get out of this state of chaos are outlined below.

While the lessons learned from the book are valuable, I can't recommend the book itself as the format is less than readable. It's structure sometimes prevents easy absorption of its ideas. The book's lack of organization is especially ironic given the book is about creating clear, concise, and organized work.

If you can focus on one task without any interruptions then it is possible to reduce the amount of time it is required of said task.

Autonomous Workflows

Value: When implemented, workers are able to work for long hours in interrupted deep work.

Definitions

Workflow: Sometimes referred to as processes, these are the structures (activities that define, identify, assign, coordinate, and review work) which lead to generating value, and eventually output.

Work Execution: the actual production of output (release notes, business plans, webinars, etc.) from knowledge work.

Protocols: the rules which define a workflow.

Kanban: a card-cased board for managing projects through stages.

Autonomous: in this context, we mean organized and clear stages of work, with minimal interruptions. The workflow should discourage unscheduled communication and encourage long hours of deep work.

The execution is not changed when attempting to dismantle the hyperactive hivemind, instead we change the workflow that defines how employees interact and work with each other.

Building Autonomous Workflows

Follow these rules when creating workflows:

• The highly organized workflow should provide everyone with clear work to be completed without any ambiguity.
• Autonomous workflows don't require constant conversations, or interruptions to drive work, which means employees are able to spend long hours in deep uninterrupted work.
• Projects should be managed with a card-centric approach, or Kanban boards.
• Decisions about what tasks to add and who to assign to them are made in regularly scheduled meetings. If you're working on one of these projects, the rhythm of your work is unambiguous. For example; stand-ups.
• Work should be able to unfold without considerable amounts of unscheduled communication.
• A board makes it easy to review who is working on what, and the current status of the project as a whole.
• A known procedure for updating work assignments as the process progresses must be established for continued success of an autonomous workflow.
• Becoming a reliable partner in an autonomous workflow means people can trust you to handle the work assigned to you without the need to constantly contact you.
• When structuring autonomous workflow systems, you must determine how others, who are accustomed to pulling your attention with a quick message, will interact with said systems.

Automating Workflows

Certain processes or repeating tasks can be automated or operationalized effectively. Once you've identified one of these tasks, follow the guidelines below to automate your process:

1. Divide: Divide the process into a series of well-defined stages following one another. Specify the work, and assignee for each stage.
2. Notify: Establish a notification system which accompanies each stage in the process, in order to inform the responsible party of when it's their turn to work on the task.
3. Setting: Establish clear settings for delivering resources and information from one stage to the next (such as shared file directories).

Developing Protocols

Coordinating around a process rather than trying to speed up individuals is the more effective solution to combating the hyperactive hivemind and overall productivity.

• When we define rules around our workflows and communication, we can reduce the amount of information required by any particular interaction.
• By taking the time to establish complex protocols around work, we reduce the time required in our daily practice and interactions, which results in more time spent on actual output.
• The cost of considering workplace coordination protocols is the inconvenience caused by the creation of the coordination protocols. Cost can be measure in terms of cognitive cycles. It's a short term pain but highly beneficial in the long term.

Example: Let’s say you wanted an autonomous workflow for booking travel stays between you and a group of friends:

1. Everyone in the group does individual research on the city or country they’d like to visit. Protocols are established to keep stays within a reasonable distance, budget, etc.
2. From there, a meeting to decide on the next location can be held. Everyone presents their desired choice and a location is chosen.
3. One of the group is assigned with finding housing for the scheduled stay.
4. Another in the group is assigned with finding restaurants.
5. A third person is responsible for finding activities.
6. When all of these details have been collected, they are shared and assigned to the budgeter of the group. The budgeter creates multiple plans to present to the group.
7. A final meeting is held to present the plans for the group to decide on, and collecting payments for the trip.

In this example, we have:

• clear assignments and clear work to be completed.
• protocols are set up to keep the scope of the project focused.
• clear stages of progress: research, information sharing and decision making, research again, budgeting, decision making, and booking.
• only two meetings are necessary: a planning meeting and finalization meeting.
• a workflow which be easily managed on a board, with notifications, and a shared space for information and resources.

Minimizing Context Switches and Information Overload

Encourage workflows for maintaining deep work:

1. Minimize context switches.
2. Minimize communication and information overload.
3. Single task whenever possible.
4. Reduce cognitive energy waste by scheduling work ahead of time on a regular basis, such as scheduling time to write everyday from four to six.
5. Schedule time everyday for uninterrupted deep work, ideally in the morning before receiving any kind of communication from others. Use this time to think deeply, make informed decisions, determine future areas of focus, decide on what needs improvements, and what needs to be ignored.

Making the Most of Cards and Boards

1. Cards must be clear and informative.
2. Use Kanban's default columns, if a workflow is not revealing itself.
3. Hold regular review meetings, such as stand-ups.
4. Use the comments section in Cards, Boards for unscheduled communications.

Workflow Values

• Cards and boards should make it easy to review who is working on what and its current status.
• Work should unfold without significant amounts of unscheduled communication.
• There are known procedures for updating work assignments as the workflow continues through its life.

Recruiting Partners for a Workflow

There will be inconvenience and change with new workflows but more gains once it is all setup.

Partnering for Changes in a Workflow

1. The team will be educated on the differences between workflows and work execution.
2. There is a misconception that email is Work. Team members must be disavowed from this view.
3. Acquire buy-in for workflows from team members who will be executing the workflow.
4. Maintain flexibility by iterating the workflow as needed.
5. Possibly institute a backup system for emergency calls, and messages.
6. Embrace existing or natural systems which team members are already following. For example, a ticket is automatically created when support receives an issue over email.

Building a Team of Specialists

Specialization trends towards fewer skills but with more quality and accountability in the area of specialization, and with increased productivity.

The rewards of becoming significantly more effective at the things that really count will swamp the pain of overcoming the minor obstacles this specialization generates. Less can be more; the trick is building up the courage to embrace this in your own work life. 

Understanding Specialization

This example helps us to understand how our brain is affected when we context switch out of our specialized role.

Time how long it takes to go through the alphabet from A to J, and then through the numbers from 1 to 10. Next, time how long it takes for you to combine these tasks by dual counting: i.e., A1, B2, C3, and so on. You should notice a difference, as the letter and number counting draw on two different networks.

1. You must start from the understanding that time and attention are limited.
2. You need to quantify how much time and attention is currently dedicated to the category of work you're attempting to budget.
3. Current commitments must be confronted by the responsible provider of work, even if you're that person.

Bridging Specialists and Support

Once we've chosen to specialize, we can build structures to enable specialized work while offloading work onto appropriate settings.

• Create protocols by which external people can contact support in order to create a buffer between specialists and support.
• If your support role cannot be eliminated, simulate your own support staff by dedicating time for your specialist role and your support role. For example, scheduling the first half of your workday for your specialist role, and leaving two hours at the end of the day for you support role.

Personalizing Kanban

Kanban can be used for more than just professional projects. For those interested in tracking personal projects with Kanban boards, read on.

• Handle your life's goals/expectations on a personal Kanban board.
• Use three columns: Emerging (all tasks), Draft (items currently in progress. Ideally, limited to three), and Completed (for completed tasks).

Idea: You can use color to indicate importance for projects or tasks. As they move across your board, the colors can be a visual indicator of how you've been spending your time.

Individual Task Board Best Practices

1. Use more than one board for each role or project (if complex enough).
2. Schedule regular review meetings for yourself to update and maintain your boards.
3. Use a "Blocker" column to your boards for items which need to be discussed with others.
4. Use a "Pending" column for items which are currently pending input from others.

Miscellaneous Ideas

Testing Ideas with a Five Day Sprint

1. Identify the problem to be solved.
2. Draft out multiple possible solutions.
3. Choose the solution you want to explore, then turn it into something which can be tested.
4. Create a prototype to test your ideas.
5. Share the prototype with real customers to learn from their feedback.

Technological Change is Transformational

Technological change is not additive; it is ecological... A new medium does not add something; it changes everything. In the year 1500, after the printing press was invented, you did not have old Europe plus the printing press. You had a different Europe.

This helps us to understand that our new technology-based tools are not just supplements to our work but have the potential to completely change how we work.

Office Hour Protocol

Any time you find yourself involved in a type of coordination activity that's both frequent and non-urgent, an office hour protocol might significantly reduce its cost. An office hour protocol stipulates you may only be reached at certain hours and even on certain days.

For example, you may only be reached 12 - 5, Monday - Wednesday.

Email Protocols

• Freeing email addresses from individuals helps to organize a team's workflow.
• Write emails no longer than five sentences. This equalizes the time spent on each individual email, thus providing more time to reply to more of them.