In his book *A World Without Email: Find Focus and Transform the Way You Work Forever* (2021), Cal Newport explores the idea that our constant communication via email is not just inefficient but a major source of distraction. Newport suggests that when we have one task to focus on without constantly checking our inboxes, we become far more productive and effective. Unfortunately, in today’s work culture, many employees split their time between numerous tasks and the emails related to those tasks, often spending more time communicating about the work than actually completing it.
Newport is a fan of systems like Kanban boards, which help visualize and manage tasks as they move through different stages of completion. Whether using physical boards or digital platforms like Jira, Kanban boards offer a way to focus on tasks and eliminate the constant distraction of emails. When tasks are mapped out on a board, all the relevant correspondence, notes, and updates are directly attached to the task itself, allowing team members to focus on the work at hand rather than scrambling through their inboxes.
In some organizations, Newport notes, email is eliminated entirely, replaced by a task list. These companies are able to remove distractions by ensuring that everything needed to complete a task is readily available within the task’s details. Team members simply work through the task list, checking off each item as they complete it. This, Newport argues, is the ideal working scenario. However, in reality, many workplaces struggle with the expectation that employees juggle multiple projects at once. The myth of multitasking leads to the belief that handling five projects simultaneously is more efficient than focusing on one at a time. But this belief is misleading.
Multitasking is inherently inefficient. When we divide our attention between several tasks, we not only lose focus but also spend more time managing the correspondence and communication for each project. As Newport highlights, trying to balance multiple tasks and constantly switching focus results in significant drops in productivity. The quality of work also suffers as the mental energy required to shift between tasks takes a toll.
Moreover, in many industries, employees are expected to remain “billable” for the majority of their time, which often means dedicating only a fraction of their workweek to projects, training, or other non-billable tasks. If an employee is allocated just 10% of their week for project work, and they have five projects to manage, each project may receive only an hour of focused attention each week. With interruptions and distractions, progress slows, momentum is lost, and quality suffers.
Drawing from personal experience, the biggest predictor of project success is not multitasking but solid planning and momentum. Far too often, projects begin without clear scope, objectives, or deliverables. As distractions and communication overloads set in, the initial momentum dissipates, and the quality of work deteriorates.
One practical tool to address this is a visual representation of a project’s status. A Kanban board, for example, can include information such as when a task entered a particular stage, who is responsible for it, and how long it has been waiting. This can be an eye-opening way to communicate the true status of a project without the need for lengthy email chains. The board serves as a conversation starter, prompting discussions during weekly meetings. If a task has been “stuck” for several days, the team can explore why that is. Is it because the task is waiting for input from another team member, or is the person assigned to it struggling to manage multiple competing priorities?
The key advantage here is shifting from email-based communication to direct, real-time conversations. Weekly check-ins with the team, supported by a visual task management system, are far more efficient than an inbox full of emails from various people, often responding to different points of discussion or missing each other’s context. Rather than having multiple people emailing back and forth about the same issue, the team can meet for a short discussion to address everything in one go.
Many people claim to dislike meetings, calling them unproductive. But when done right, meetings focused on specific tasks can be far more productive than dealing with an overflowing inbox. A 20-minute meeting where everyone discusses exactly what they will work on and what resources they need is much more effective than wasting time sifting through emails to find what’s important.
In conclusion, Newport’s argument in *A World Without Email* encourages organizations to rethink their reliance on email as the primary mode of communication. By adopting systems like Kanban boards and fostering direct, focused discussions, companies can reduce distractions, improve productivity, and ultimately enhance the quality of their work. The key to achieving this is recognizing the cost of multitasking and embracing the power of focus.
#Productivity #Focus #Kanban #WorkplaceEfficiency #TaskManagement #CalNewport