As work time becomes more about communication, creativity declines. People spend 60% of their time communicating. … [+]
Burnout, email overload and meeting overload are all featured in Microsoft and LinkedIn's new Work Trend Index, which finds that 68% of people struggle with the pace and volume of work, and 46% report feeling burned out.
As work time becomes more about communication, creativity is declining. People spend 60% of their time in email, chat, and meetings, and only 40% on creative apps. So it's no wonder busy people are finding new ways to protect their creative time from distractions, set boundaries, and be more productive. I call this “intentional inflexibility,” and in a world of work where interruptions are constant, setting limits is essential to getting things done.
Make “no” your default answer to requests for your time
Clara Emanuel, who co-founded WorkWell to improve work-life balance for self-employed mothers, says her default response to people asking about her availability is “no” in order to protect her own creative and productive time.
She explains, “I have a script in place to re-state my boundaries. When the default is 'no' or 'I'll get back to you,' I have time to re-prioritize when an opportunity arises to say 'absolute yes.'”
Emmanuel is also strict about communicating her availability, using auto-replies to announce when she's not only on vacation but also when she's dropping off her kids at daycare, doing focused writing or meditating. “As a mother and business owner, it's important for me to have clear boundaries between my work and home life,” she adds.
Pause work in Turn your business into a job upon Your Business
Some business owners are going even further: Reshmi Bennett, founder of London-based craft bakery Ange de Sucre and author of a series of children's baking books, made the difficult decision to close her bakery one day a week to ensure she had uninterrupted creative time to invent and test new cake flavours and designs, and focus on writing.
When the bakery is open, she manages production and oversees operations like customer service, fulfillment and driver logistics. But being “called” by employees, customers and suppliers was disrupting her creative process.
Mr Bennett added: “We decided to stop making cakes on Tuesdays when demand was low. We expanded our range of cakes and created new styles, some of which became popular through word of mouth. We've also published seven books.”
Set aside time for creativity and set strict limits on meetings
Even in a notoriously overworked profession, there are ways to carve out time for creativity and improve productivity. Paul Britton, CEO and founder of the law firm Britton & Time, recalls that for years his own schedule was cluttered with meetings, emails, and last-minute requests, which took away from his chances of focusing on the business as a whole.
He added: “It was not uncommon to see city businessmen, myself included, drowsy-eyed on Monday morning, having just finished a late-night Sunday call with a client, with a day ahead of us filled with internal discussions about everything from printer ink to office snacks to the latest performance improvement plan to be implemented. Spending 30 hours a week in meetings was the norm, not the norm.
Now, work life for Britton and his colleagues has changed dramatically. Tuesdays are designated for internal and third-party meetings except in emergencies, and Thursdays are designated ideation days. Thursdays are now a sanctuary for uninterrupted creative exploration. On these days, email is largely silenced, phones are set to do not disturb, and the whole team is focused.
Britton says: “Initially there was the usual resistance to the change: 'But what if a client has an urgent request?' So we appointed a dedicated liaison person who could prioritise urgent issues and reduce disruption for the remaining staff.”
Like Emanuel, Britton learned the courage to say no — to anything that didn't directly contribute to quality creative output, revenue generation, or furthering business goals. “This included networking events that weren't challenging, legal events that weren't business, strategic, or creative focused, and even specific client requests that didn't align with my vision for the work the firm takes on,” he says.
The impact of change has been profound. What was once a chaotic, “always on” environment has become one of focused productivity, where teams thrive on the predictability of scheduled meetings and uninterrupted workdays, produce work they can be truly proud of, and begin to secure their business.
“For many of us, creativity – the very reason we started a business – is held hostage by a lack of time,” says Britton. “The bottom line is that creativity is a business leader's most valuable asset. Protect it like crazy.”
