Cooperate With Inspiration
Adam Grant is famously productive. He’s an exceptional teacher, and his creative output is consistent. What’s his secret? In a fabulous conversation with Tim Ferriss, he keys in on the idea of “attention management” — to say it differently, “respect for flow” — recognizing that sometimes, managing one’s attention is at odds with traditional time management.
The truth is, “flow” is a real phenomenon, and yet in today’s meeting-focused work culture, there’s very little appreciation for the flow state. The schedule rules all.
So what does Grant do when time and attention don’t jive? He respects attention, and seeks to flex on time. He asks for forgiveness, and protects the zone. “I didn’t know yesterday when I scheduled this meeting that I was going to be in flow today at this time.”
In my own modest blogging practice, I have made a simple and reliable observation: it is ~100x easier to write a blog post when I’m inspired, than when I am under a deadline (even a self-imposed deadline!). It’s made me think, “When inspiration strikes, am I willing to cooperate?”
Is there a shorthand on teams to help folks appreciate when someone is under inspiration?
There needs to be some kind of “flow safe word”…
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One of the defining contributions the d.school is helping teams ask themselves, “What kind of thinking is appropriate, when?” We call such clarity being “Mindful of Process.” And it can seem like semantics until you realize we need to show up in different ways.