How I Work

We’d be so much more productive if we and the people we work with realized how best to work with us.

One way I do this, is by putting together a living document that defines how I work. It serves as a guide for the people working with you. More importantly though, it serves as a thinking tool to understand yourself better and how you best work.

Having clarity can check expectations and prevent disappointments. It can also set you up for success and allow you to perform your best work uninterrupted.

It’s challenging to have people accept everything you put down. However, operating within the best interest of your organization is reflected in the amount of deep work you do and the output you deliver.

Paul Graham through his piece captures the sentiment associated with an interruption very well.

For someone on the maker’s schedule, having a meeting is like throwing an exception. It doesn’t merely cause you to switch from one task to another; it changes the mode in which you work.

Placing this on a personal home page allows people to understand how you work and tells them more about what you prefer and what you don’t. It narrows the scope for unintentional interruptions.

Tracking changes in the will show how you and your working style evolve.

I’ve placed a screenshot of my “How I Work” document here. Hope it helps you give direction for your own.