Email, the Hyperactive Hive Mind, Deep work
Email, Hyperactive Hive Mind, Deep work
In his book A World Without Email, professor and author Cal Newport develops a compelling argument against the compulsive and unintentional use of email we make these days, particularly in the knowledge work sector. The issue is not with *email *as a tool per sé, as Newport posits, but it lies in the behavior we have attached to the use of email as a collaboration tool, which is not what email is meant for. The hyperactive hive-mind nature of the current email paradigm has most of its roots in the human brain and our hardwired desire to be part of a tribe and connect with other human beings. The mere thought of not replying to an email right after it arrives is, to many people, nerve-wracking. The antidote to such a mindless habit can be found in precise systems and frameworks around our work, as Newport underlines.
Despite the seemingly provoking title (A World Without Email), professor Newport does not propose to eliminate email from our lives all along. That's not the point of the argument put forward in the book. The intent of cultivating *A World Without Email *is to use email for what it is: a *communication *tool. The compulsive use of email embedded in today's knowledge workers' existence has an impulsive and irrational nature. This unorthodox use of email stymies productivity significantly, as Newport postulates. The whole system, however, runs on asynchronous back and forth interaction. Living in a "world without email" corresponds to setting up purposeful systems; frameworks that maximize mental clarity and efficiency for actually doing the work, instead of spending most of the time *talking *about the work. This can have the advantage of freeing up time and getting more done in a relative time frame, in deep work. Going back to the roots and using email as a communication tool (and a very convenient one) is key to gain some clarity and purpose back in our lives. Centralizing workflows in tools that are built for such a job (e.g. Trello, Asana, Notion, etc.) allows for avoiding the asynchronous conversations constantly going on within organizations as to what to do and in which fashion. The upfront work of setting up centralized systems and protocols of reference may feel daunting. The future benefits of moving to a more intentional workflow can be truly life-enhancing.
I have written a complete book summary of A World Without Email, which you can find here.
Thank you for reading, and have a solid rest of the week,
Simone 🖖