What is deep work?

If you walk into an office during morning work hours, you'll find a flurry of activity—a cacophony of fingers on keyboards, mouse clicks, and phone chatter. But how many of these hectic activities actually benefit the company? How many of these employees do work that requires their full concentration and makes optimal use of their skills?

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What is deep work?

The idea of deep work was first introduced by Cal Newport in a 2012 blog post.

The computer science professor described the concept of deep work as an activity that requires full concentration and is performed without distraction.

This isn't usually the kind of work people do every day. Even if they describe their day as busy, it is usually filled with repetitive, distracting tasks that can be performed with minimal concentration and are of no real benefit to either the individual or the employer.

Focused work vs. superficial work

Focused work or superficial work is perhaps best described as busyness or productivity. You can be productive and busy, but being busy doesn't mean you're productive.

Let's look at a typical working day as an example:

• Check emails
• Watch a webinar
• Review and confirm tasks
• Data entry by copying and pasting
• Record timesheets

This is work, and it keeps you busy. But it's not demanding, doesn't require your full attention, and you can do it even if you're distracted.
On the other hand, a day of intensive work might look something like this:

• Drafting a memo that is sent to the entire office
• Create a detailed proposal for a new project
• Preparing a presentation
• Analyzing data patterns to assess the success of a recent project

Of course, this does not mean that superficial work is pointless. You still have to check those emails and attend those webinars. But when these tasks are completed without distraction and with more focus, you can complete them quickly and move on to more challenging and valuable tasks.

What are the benefits of deep work?

We have already discussed what deep work is and how it differs from superficial work. It is quite clear that deep work gets the task done faster and at a higher level. But there are other advantages of deep work:

• It increases the productivity of the organization
• Promotes creative thinking
• Greater employee commitment to their projects
• Improves job satisfaction
• Discourages distracting and unfocused work

How to start with deep work

If you have researched this topic, you may have seen some mentions of strategies. So what is a deep work technique? Well, it refers to techniques you can use to get into a deep working state. The easiest way is to clear your workspace of distractions (emails, phone notifications, social media) and tackle a task that requires full concentration.
There are also specific strategies to integrate deep work into your daily life:

Monastic philosophy

Like a monk, you must put aside all meaningless tasks and focus solely on the things that matter. This requires long and intensive work periods without any distractions.
Don't be tempted by emails on your computer or social media messages on your phone. Set everything to "Busy" or "Away," use "Focus" mode if you have it, and concentrate on the task at hand.

Rhythmic Philosophy

Get into the habit of a regular rhythm in which you combine deep work and superficial work. This can be a specific day of the week or, preferably, a specific time of day. It will be difficult at first. Your attention will keep wandering. Over time, however, you will find a rhythm and the deep work will become second nature to you.

Journalistic philosophy

If you have a busy schedule that doesn't allow for regular, pre-planned breaks, try the journalistic approach. The idea is to take advantage of free time whenever you can get it, whether that's working on a project while everyone is on their lunch break or spending a few hours at home when the kids are at school.

Bimodal philosophy

Bimodal philosophy combines long phases of superficial work with intensive phases of deep work. It requires a high level of coordination, especially if you work in a team. You need to schedule periods of time where you are completely free from distractions and can work deeply until your concentration wanes.

How to do deep work in an open-plan office

The average office is busy, but it is also full of distractions and repetitive tasks. With the constant noise of ringing phones, typing keyboards, and clicking mice, as well as colleagues wanting to chat about last night's game, it can be difficult to concentrate.
But there are tools that can help, for example Flexopus.
Flexopus is a desk sharing solution that allows employees to book desks, meeting rooms and parking spaces . This way, they can complete all the superficial work in the morning, book a meeting room in the afternoon, and then complete in-depth work in peace and with full concentration.
This benefits not only employees but also employers, who can benefit from a more productive workforce. You can give your employees the freedom to work without distractions and allow them to express themselves creatively and fully utilize their skills.
Click here to learn more about our packages and get in touch to book a demo.

Summary

Deep work is simply a deeper and more comprehensive way of working that enables employees to fully utilize their skills while increasing company productivity. In a world full of distractions and in an office filled with repetitive tasks, deep work can be a game changer. Walk into an office during morning work hours and you'll find a flurry of activity—a cacophony of fingers on keyboards, mouse clicks, and phone chatter. But how many of these hectic activities actually benefit the company? How many of these employees do work that requires their full concentration and makes optimal use of their skills?