It seems like working all the time and hardly ever being productive in the context of running a small business nowadays.
Notifications never stop. Customers desire immediate responses. Team members need decisions. Every few minutes social media attracts attention. You then get tired of the work by the end of the day and yet the task of importance is not done.
So because of this deep work is survival skill.
Being a person who is working closely with business owners, consultants, and founders, I have observed one pattern. It is not the issue of lack of ideas that businesses face. This is a problem to them as the owners do not have time to think, plan, and make uninterrupted decisions.
And we may well subdivide this practically, in a real-life manner.
What Is Deep Work in Simple
Deep work involves fully focusing on doing the things that really count to the business that you have. It is a process that requires one to give complete mental attention to a single task at a time, without any distractions. Such type of work produces value, enhances skills, and drives the business.
In the case of small business owners, deep work would typically involve:
- Strategic planning Business
- system creation
- Financial analysis
- Process improvement
- Content creation
- High impact client work
These activities drive the business.
Shallow work, in contrast, involves routine work like responding to emails, picking up the phone when it rings unexpectedly, going through Instagram posts, or dealing with the small matters that may be outsourced. Working superficially keeps the business alive but it is not contributing towards the growth of the business.
The difficulty lies in the fact that shallow work is urgent whereas deep work is important and tends to be pushed off.
The problem of focus of small business owners.
Consideration is hard nowadays not due to lack of discipline among business people, but due to normalcy of distraction. Most of the owners think that one of the responsibilities is being around 24 hours. Productivity is in fact being killed by the very fact of constant availability.
There are special challenges that face the owners of small businesses. They are in charge of various functions, make fast decisions, and remain active in the day-to-day operations. In contrast to big organizations they are not always able to delegate everything. It results in frequent interruptions which are inevitable.
Mental overload is another significant problem. Everything is significant resulting in nothing being given due attention. The day is unstructured, and it becomes full of reactive work. The owners continue to respond rather than being strategic. This would eventually result in burnout, frustrations, and stagnation.
Deeper work is challenging
As there exists no definite structure to defend concentration.
The Price of being distracted in a Small Business. Distraction is not only a waste of time. It creates hidden losses. Decisions become rushed. Planning becomes shallow. Performance becomes haphazard. The owners of businesses have gone to work more hours to keep abreast.
According to my own experience, distracted owners usually encounter the following issues:
- Unfinished projects that continue dragging months on.
- Inappropriate use of business software and systems.
- Sloppy errors because of not being reviewed.
- Continuous firefighting not systematic growth.
- Without significant advancement mental exhaustion.
The greatest expense is the opportunity cost. The lack of time to think in depth prevents owners of businesses to have opportunities to maximize their margins, stream line their operations and develop scalable systems.
The Case Why Deep Work Is a Game Changer to Business Owners.
Deep work assists the owners of the business to appreciate the leadership mode rather than the reaction mode. Owners begin to create superior systems that minimize problems instead of fixing them (Nixon, 2003). When the owners engage in deep work on a routine basis, they will feel: Clearly thinking and decision making. Quick implementation of significant projects. Better business frame work.
Deep work does not have to do with working harder. It is concerned with working deliberately.
Determining Deep Work Tasks in Your Business.
The first step is clarity. Not all things should be given large attention. Owners of businesses should determine the activities that do make a difference. The easiest method to determine deep work activities would be to question, what is the best thing to do today that will enhance my business most of all? The small business owners are engaged in common activities of deep work which include: Business strategy and planning. Process and system design Cost optimization and financial review. Operation and inventory enhancement.Examining sales and customer performance. On identifying these tasks, these must not be regarded as optional work but as high priority work.
Time Blocking: The Deep Work Foundation.
Deep work is not an automatic occurrence. It must be scheduled. Urgent tasks will always prevail in absence of time blocking. Time blocking refers to time-blocking where you set up a particular time in your schedule to dedicate to work. This is a time that needs to be guarded as a crucial appointment. A workable solution in the case of the small business owners is to begin small. Daily 60-90 minutes of focus are sufficient to achieve the results. Mornings are usually the most productive since the distractions are less and the energy of the mind is high.
Even four to five deep work sessions per week would make a substantial change with time. Developing a Distraction Free Environment. Focus is significant in environment.
The practical steps that can be used in the real business environment are:
Sifting out the unnecessary browser tabs. Quitting social media on areas of concentration. Reminding team members on focus time. Elimination of emails and messages when you are deep into your work. Productivity should not be understood as availability. Due to the focus protection by the owners, they eventually achieve superior customer and team outcomes.
Working in Cycles rather than Long Hours.
Most entrepreneurs think that extended working hours will resolve the productivity problems. As a matter of fact, mental energy is finite. Working deeply must be in cycles. A deep work loop is healthy and involves a short rest after a focused work. This makes the mind fresh and less fatigued. An attempt to push long, continuous working hours tends to burn one out. It is quality of focus that is important and not quantity of time.
In-depth encompassing and Business Systems.
One needs to think, analyze and plan in designing and improving systems, which cannot be done when distracted. Those who invest time in thorough work on systems improvement usually have a less challenging process, less mistakes, and increased transparency. In the long run, this will lower the daily stress and enhance scalability. Technology in itself is not the solution. Concentrated execution does.
Delegation and Deep Work
A misperception regarding deep work is that it implies that one must do everything on their own. As a matter of fact, deep work enables more delegation. Whenever the owners make rational decisions, they can know which tasks can be outsourced and which they should be involved.
Deep work assists in the role definition, expectation setting, and documentation. This minimizes disruptions and reliance of the owner in making routine decisions. When there is clarity, the delegation is better.
Simple Deep Work Routine of Small Business Owners.
The structure creates equilibrium between focus and availability without pressure. Top 10 Follies made by business owners with Deep Work. Most owners abandon deep work after they desire quick payoffs. Deep work is a practice that is accumulated.
Common mistakes include:
- Attempting to multitask at focus.
- Overbooking classes by giving excessive assignments.
- Deep work must be a challenge but not too difficult.
- Punishment is dignified with training.
My Biz Experience as an Entrepreneur.
The majority of business owners are not short of tools and knowledge in my consulting experience. They do not have time to think continuously. As soon as they incorporate deep work into their lifestyle, they begin to perceive problems objectively rather than respond emotionally.
Deep work owners remark that they feel more confident, relaxed, and in control. Their business organizations are organized and decision making is enhanced. Development becomes planned instead of being incidental. Deep work assists the owners to abandon their survival mode to strategic leadership.
Final Thoughts
Focus has become hard to find in the world of distractions. Deep work is no longer just an option to the owners of small businesses. It is needed to be clear, to grow, and to be sustainable. Deep work does not involve costly equipment or radical changes.
It needs to be enlightened, organized, and dedicated. A single concentrated session on a day-to-day basis can change the way a business runs in the long run. When you are too busy and stalled, then it is not a lack of effort. It is focus. Begin to safeguard your deep working hours, and your company will begin to move into focus and strength.