An excerpt from “Joy at Work” explains why urgent tasks shouldn’t always be our top priority.
By Marie Kondo and Scott Sonenshein
An excerpt from “Joy at Work” explains why urgent tasks shouldn’t always be our top priority.
In their new book, “Joy at Work: Organizing Your Professional Life,” tidying expert Marie Kondo and organizational psychologist Scott Sonenshein, the Henry Gardiner Symonds Professor of Management at Rice Business, offer tips for decluttering your work — literally and figuratively. What follows is a section from the book on how to triage your tasks so you don’t waste valuable time on urgent assignments that aren’t truly important.
Instead of making time to dive deeply into our work and experience the joy that can come from tackling an important task, we jump from one seemingly urgent task to the next. That leaves us with very little time to think or grow. Research finds that half of an executive’s activities last less than nine minutes, leaving them without much time for deep thought. Factory foremen average 583 discrete activities for an eight-hour shift. Mid-level employees average only one thirty-minute or greater uninterrupted time block about once every other day.
If you’re like most, you work on autopilot, accepting and completing assignments based on what appears most urgent, rather than what’s actually most important. It’s no surprise, then, that more than 50 percent of people feel overwhelmed at least some of the time, which leads to mistakes at work, anger at employers, and resentment toward coworkers.
Guided by psychological quirks that make us think the most urgent activities are also the most important, we often prioritize the wrong ones. Don’t confuse urgent and important tasks. They’re not the same.
Urgent tasks are those that must be done by a certain time. If not, they can’t be done at all — joining a client for dinner on the only day she’s in town, helping a colleague meet a project deadline, or attending an annual team retreat.
Important tasks are different. There are big positive outcomes for performing them or big negative consequences for not performing them. Examples include personal development, for instance, through reading and education; updating a product; and developing a good relationship with colleagues.
Some tasks are both important and urgent, and most people prioritize them — whether filing taxes, responding to a job offer, or smoothing things over with an upset customer. Not surprisingly, we usually and correctly deprioritize non-urgent, non-important tasks — whether it’s mindlessly checking social media or shopping online during work hours (at least most of the time!).
If you’re trying to feel good — at least in the short term — checking off an urgent task makes sense. In the long term, however, you’re not doing the type of work that really matters to your career and company.
Joy At Work
By Marie Kondo and Scott Sonenshein
What about tasks that are urgent but not important, such as attending a weekly company gathering or answering a phone call from a colleague, or that are important but not urgent, such as long-term career planning? Think about it for a minute: What are you likely to work on today? Probably the urgent tasks.
There’s a reason why we usually prioritize urgent tasks over important ones. Important tasks tend to be more difficult to complete than urgent ones, making us more reluctant to start them. Urgent tasks have a more immediate payoff, making them more enticing to start and pleasing to finish. If you’re trying to feel good — at least in the short term — checking off an urgent task makes sense. In the long term, however, you’re not doing the type of work that really matters to your career and company.
We also get tricked into focusing on urgent tasks through artificial deadlines. There’s a lot of “fake urgency” at work. After a coworker or client asked you to get back to them within a week, have you ever wondered where the week deadline came from? Too often, it’s completely arbitrary. Double-check to make sure a deadline is really the deadline.
And it turns out when we think we’re busy with other stuff even if we’re not, we’re even more prone to being pushed around by fake urgency. With so much to do and now another pressing deadline before us, who has time to figure out which “important” task we should complete first?
How Rice Business made the quick transition to virtual classes
Jennifer Latson
How Rice Business made the quick transition to virtual classes
When the Covid-19 pandemic upended life as we know it, Rice Business students turned on, tuned in, and kept learning — online. Starting March 16, a week before the rest of Rice, Rice Business flipped a virtual switch and began delivering courses remotely for full-time students.
But the seamless transition to online instruction belies the enormous amount of work that went on behind the scenes. Rice Business professors had a mere 96 hours to make the leap to an entirely remote teaching platform. For many, that meant forgoing sleep and barely leaving the building in the race to prepare.
Luckily, Rice Business was already equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and expertise in delivering courses virtually. A team from the Office of Technology became first responders in a massive effort to deliver 224 remote class sessions for 95 courses taught by 56 faculty members. The following week, they ramped up even further to accommodate undergraduate courses as well, bringing the total number of online sessions to about 300 per week. It’s been a Herculean effort that has brought challenges and unexpected benefits — along with plenty of teachable moments, as our professors explain.
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Professor Zhou teaching her negotiations class via Zoom.
Jing Zhou, Mary Gibbs Jones Professor of Management:
Arguably, [an intensive learning experience in negotiations] is one of the courses that is the least suitable for online delivery, because it’s a huge challenge to convert its rich content and pedagogy fully online. Nonetheless, we decided to keep its originally scheduled dates and to aim for a high-quality delivery online, because this dual goal serve our students’ needs the best. Shifting from face-to-face teaching to online 1.0 [teaching in a connected classroom] was relatively smooth for me. Everything about teaching was familiar, except my students were on a big screen instead sitting in the same room.
I found version 2.0 [teaching from home] more challenging than 1.0. I enjoy walking around the room while teaching. Sitting at home with a couple of computers is not my preference. I draw energy from walking around. So when I sit and teach, I needed to energize myself psychologically. The class turned out to be brilliant. I was so proud of those students! They not only actively participated in all negotiation exercises, but also actively participated in class discussion. Their input was thoughtful and practical.
At any time of great uncertainty and challenge, true leaders emerge and step up. I felt that Rice MBA students were those true leaders.
Professor Jing Zhou
Mary Gibbs Jones Professor of Management and Psychology – Organizational Behavior
Scott Sonenshein, Henry Gardiner Symonds Professor of Management:
Normally, I would have spent the week [before going online] prepping all of my teaching notes and going over exercises. But instead I had to stretch in new ways, moving beyond my established teaching plans. I asked my students, like me, to use our circumstances to expand their leadership skills. What worked for me was to frame these challenges as opportunities to learn something new and modernize the way I teach. Online is a growing segment of business education, so I am not telling myself ‘I’ve got this great class that I can’t deliver.’ Instead, I’m building energy for myself, thinking ‘I get to push myself and grow in new ways — and design new content. This is something I’ve been wanting to do for a while.’ I can’t think of a more important time to be teaching and learning about leadership.
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Professor Mittal teaching his class via Zoom
Vikas Mittal, J. Hugh Liedtke Professor of Marketing:
I found the switch to virtual teaching an opportunity to reinvent key aspects of my class. A few days prior to my first virtual class, I conducted an hourlong mock class with the help of the Rice Business OOT team — including Marcie Carlson, Judy Hua, and Derek Hill — who helped me iron out all the details. And there have been many unexpected benefits. Students put themselves on mute, and to ask a question they have to unmute themselves. This small behavioral change, in my opinion, has reduced the number of questions they ask, but greatly improved the quality of questions asked. I was also struck by the care and heed students put into virtual learning — I saw students with toddlers in their lap during class — but still fully attentive. I saw students who had to set aside worries about being furloughed, laid off, or having to homeschool kids. I am not surprised at the remarkable alacrity with which our students have taken up the challenge. They’ve set up feedback sessions with me through Zoom, and it has given me a peek inside their homes when we chat. In our last session, they could not see the shoes I was wearing, so they asked me to take a picture of my shoes and text it to them!
Jacob and his fiancée Anna were married on November 2nd, 2019 at Christ Church Episcopal Cathedral in Louisville, Kentucky, with a reception following at The Pendennis Club. Jacob was also promoted to Finance Manager at Ridgewood Energy (a Gulf of Mexico-focused private equity firm) after completing his MBA at Rice, and Anna accepted a position within the New Energies division at Shell after completing her MBA at Yale.
Yiwen Zhang ’19
Yiwen is thrilled to return to Rice, as staff this time. Yiwen is now a Program Manager for International Operations at the Office of Information Technology. With great passion for Higher Education and 8 years of experience from the IT world, this is a dream job for her. Yiwen is very grateful that Rice offered me not only the opportunity for the education, but for a career in education/tech as well.
Omar Matuk-Villazon ’18
Omar recently joined the new University of Houston College of Medicine as their first pediatric faculty. He currently serves as Clinical Assistant Professor,Director of Entrepreneurship, and Co-Director for the Physicians Patients and Population Course. He also works on a direct primary care model for the individuals who lack health insurance. The College of Medicine expects the first class to start by August 2020.
Christian Herrington ’18
Christian launched a new company in the early part of 2019, Pinteal. Pinteal is a state-of-the-art decoy remote and application for hunting equipment. The product was featured in two leading outdoor publications as one of the top, most innovative products in the outdoor industry: Field and Stream & Outdoor Life.
Mike Panozzo ’17
Mike and his wife welcomed daughter Camryn Grace Panozzo on 11-29-2019. Both mother and daughter are happy and healthy.
Robyn Kenkel ’17
Robyn founded HFE Consulting Company in 2018 which led to her hired on full time by a client, Solar Mosaic, Inc., as the Senior Director, Counterparty Risk
Fernando Villarreal Marcos ’16
Fernando changed positions within the company from GM of Texrite to a more corporate role as the Innovation Director with the Cemix Group (parent company for Texrite). In addition, he and his wife Veronica Garza are expecting their second child in mid-August!
Neil Ragbirsingh ’16
Neil hosted the EMBA class of 2016 at his home in Fulshear where he and his wife Lori prepared the most delicious Trinitarian dishes for their classmates.
Darin Woolwine ’16
Darin is moving to Utah in June to be close to his family. He will certainly be missed by his Houston classmates.
Spencer O’Neal ’16
Spencer joined World Fuel Services, a global Fortune 100 energy supply and services company, full time in Miami, FL. He joined as part of an Accelerated Management Program (AMP) that was scheduled to last 3 years and comprise of 3-4 rotations, and currently he runs Global Sales for North America.
Spencer also recently launched his side project, Alexander Drake, a jewelry brand based on authentic ancient artifact. The brand is focused on educating the customer and building an archetype around each emperor so that each individual can connect and relate with their impact on history and personality trait.
Erin Felton ’16
Erin is now working in New York at Etsy as the Senior Manager for Analytics and Product Support. Erin also just welcomed a baby girl, Paloma Ivy Lopez, to the family on Aug 16!
David Proano ’16
Jessica ‘14 and David celebrated the birth of their daughter, Amelia. She was born on July 5, 2019 and she is a blessing to the family.
Wolfgang von der Rosen ’14
Wolfgang recently relocated to the Netherlands.
Kurt Schoeffler ’13
Kurt and his beautiful wife Krista are delighted to introduce Millie Claire Schoeffler, born in Houston on December 11th, 2019, weighing 8 pounds and 6 ounces. Millie's favorite things include milks, bath time, and more milks. To say these new parents are in love with this little girl would be an understatement!
Michael Murphy ’13
Michael completed the Houston Marathon in January, carrying Old Glory. He presented the flag to a retired service member, MSG Elmer Ramsey at the finish line. You can see the complete story and news coverage on Facebook by searching for “Honor Flag Runner.”
Jennifer (Neeley) Ortegon ’12
Jennifer was promoted to Strategic Sales Director at Medallia and celebrated her sixth anniversary at the Silicon Valley-based Experience Management Technology Company.
Mallory (Engler) Robins ’12
Mallory and Charlie Robins recently welcomed daughter Schaefer Jean, joining overjoyed sisters Laurel and Hollis. The Robins family resides in Kansas City, where Mallory is partner/owner of boutique interior design firm, Kobel & Co. This past fall, Mallory also launched a new company, Table Top In A Box, which offers curated table top accessories designed to take the stress out of hosting and encourage people to bring family and friends into their homes and around the table.
Patra Brannon-Isaac ’11
Patra joined the Kinder Foundation as their Director of Education.
Cathy Mann ’11
Cathy Mann officially started her year in January 2020 as Chair of the Board for The Association of Former Students at Texas A&M University where she received her undergraduate degree. She has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2014. With more than 515,000 alumni of Texas A&M University, Cathy is the first former student among 85,000 who graduated in the 1990s decade and only the fourth woman to serve as Board Chair in the organization's 140-year history. The 17-member Board is comprised of former students who graduated between 1961 and 1995 and includes CEOs and corporate executives of global corporations, a U.S. Air Force General and Chief of Staff as well as the former President of Panama.
Linhua Guan ’10
Linhua just celebrated his one-year anniversary with Surge Energy America in the past December. Currently he serves as CEO at Surge Energy America, which is the 3rd largest private oil & gas producer in Permian Basin and 6th largest private oil producer in USA.
Johnny Tran ’10
Johnny left his corporate job in oil and gas in August 2019 to pursue real estate development full time. He founded Xcel Homes in 2017 and currently acting as Managing Partner.
Jeanna (Becker) Bumpas ’04
Not only has Jeanna excelled as a top expert in her wellness business, receiving many awards, but also she is licensed in the State of Texas specializing in commercial insurance.
Carol Der Garry ’85
In January, after eight years at the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, Carol started a new job as a partner at Forensic Risk Alliance's Washington DC office. FRA, formed in 1999, works on key cross-border international corruption and fraud investigations in both the US and Europe, providing major global corporations and law firms with a combination of forensic accounting, eDiscovery, data governance and compliance consulting services. Carol’s practice areas include forensic and fraud investigations, white collar defense in SEC, DOJ and PCAOB regulatory investigations and accountant malpractice. This summer Carol is excited to be joining the Association of Rice Alumni board for a three year term. The ARA board provides input regarding Alumni Relations operations and programs and serves in an advisory capacity to the Alumni Relations staff. Members of the ARA board represent the alumni body to the university.
John Dobelman ’85
John and Edward E. Williams new book, "A Random Walk to Nowhere: How the Professors Caused a Real 'Fraud-on-the-Market'", was published February 6, 2020, by World Scientific. John has worked with Dr. Williams on numerous projects dating back several decades.
Peter Rodriguez, dean of the school, claims that the MBA@Rice is a step towards democratising business education. The lowest and highest student incomes in the online cohort are below those in the executive MBA class, which is similar in age and experience, he says.
“When we lose control over any significant aspect of our lives, as is happening right now, it is natural to want to find opportunities to exert control over something else,” Utpal Dholakia, professor of marketing at Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business, told HuffPost. “Doing so makes us feel less helpless.”
Chris Ferris, a marketing lecturer at Rice University, showed this video to his 14-year-old and 17-year-old. The pro-gas message made their eyes roll, he said. This is the difficulty of marketing to social media-savvy teenagers. “They have a more highly attuned BS meter,” Ferris said. “If a company or a brand doesn’t seem authentic, but seems fake, they will sniff that out in a hot minute.”
“If there is not a pipeline of diverse applicants getting their professional degrees, there are simply fewer diverse people to choose from,” says Mikki Hebl, a professor of management and psychology at Rice University in Houston… To address that issue, companies need to actively seek out underrepresented voices instead of waiting for the talent to come to them, academics say.
The Women in Leadership Conference is always a fan favorite in the Houston business community, where it’s helped empower women to accomplish their career goals for two decades. Rice Business students planned the 20th annual conference for a solid year in order to deliver a day of keynote speakers, industry panels, networking and — this time — roaring to a sold-out crowd on Feb. 14. The keynote speakers were Ann Fox, president and CEO of Nine Energy Service, and Sandy Asch, a global consultant and the best-selling author of “Roar: How to Build a Resilient Organization the World-Famous San Diego Zoo Way.”
How Rice Business has shaped Ricky Kuruvilla ’21, a Professional MBA student.
How Rice Business has shaped Ricky Kuruvilla ’21, a Professional MBA student.
I plan to bring everything I’ve soaked up from the Rice Business MBA program to truly make a difference at my workplace, in my relationships, and in my local community. My goal is to take on more leadership roles and bring a unique perspective to the teams I will eventually lead.
Ricky Kuruvilla ’21
Professional MBA
Mentorship has played a huge role in Ricky Kuruvilla’s life — both as a recipient and a provider. After graduating from the Business Honors Program at the University of Texas, he earned a prestigious spot in Chevron’s fast-track program for promising young leaders. He’s been working his way up at the company for nearly a decade, from an entry-level finance position to decision support analyst. Along the way, he’s gotten guidance from great mentors — and they all urged him to get his MBA.
He’s already a mentor himself, both at Chevron and in the youth group at his church. And he has been a leader in Habitat for Humanity ever since high school. Being part of the Rice Business community has helped him further hone his leadership skills, in part by emphasizing teamwork. “One of my favorite aspects of business school,” he said, “is being able to soak up unique perspectives and ideas from my amazing classmates, who all come from very different careers and personal backgrounds.”
We’re all overwhelmed by the ways COVID-19 has disrupted our lives — and for many of us, working from home for the foreseeable future adds another layer of complication. If your work life was already a mess, as it is for many of us, then uprooting from the office can make it even messier. What’s worse, you risk bringing the mess home with you. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Here’s how you can work remotely without introducing clutter and chaos into your home life.
First, start with an organized physical space. Typically, our workspaces are cluttered with papers, old work in folders, expired snacks and lots of paperclips. When we tidy our space, we eliminate distractions, allowing us to focus and do our work efficiently and comfortably. Include only the essentials to get the job done: a computer, phone, headset, printer, highlighter, pen, and so on.
Second, although working from home may initially seem like a convenience, it can also add new challenges: how to get stuff done with the kids around and where to find a quiet space. Talk with family members about boundaries – what hours you will work, what space must be left alone to get your job done, and what can or can’t be going on in the background. Putting on professional clothes can act as a signal that you’re working and put yourself in a productive mindset. And make sure to take a break – there’s a lot going on right now and everyone needs a release. Get up and stretch. Go for a short walk around the block. The mind is still working, even when you’re not sitting at your computer. And breaks are so important for your physical health, which is more critical than ever.
Third, keep in mind that it may be trickier to relieve the tensions that often crop up in the workplace. Fights over budgets, getting credit for work, inter-departmental squabbles, and competing goals are common even under normal conditions. Without close physical contact, it might be harder to work through these messes. But you can still create a sense of connection with your colleagues, which can go a long way toward building goodwill and limiting friction.
Research shows that letting your colleagues view your personal space reduces psychological distance. So go ahead and show off your home office. And don’t worry too much if your toddler interrupts a virtual meeting. Although you might never invite some of your colleagues to your house, you can create connection with them by allowing them to see some of these humanizing sides of your life. And in these uncertain times, as we tackle crucial work together, it’s important that we focus on what we have in common – rather than our differences.
You can also be social, even with “social distancing.” Hop on conference calls a few minutes before the start time and chat up whoever joins early. Even a playful emoji in a text can build connection. During times of severe stress, everyone can benefit from building quality relationships. Psychologists find that joy can help undo some of the anxieties and other harms in our lives. So bring the water cooler or coffee break online and try to make someone laugh. Coordinate breaks and sip your beverage while talking informally with your colleagues over the phone or video conferencing.
Fourth, don’t take your bad email habits home with you. Filling your inbox — and your outbox — doesn’t mean you’re working more or getting more done. Without being together, it’s even more tempting to use email to show that we’re not slacking off. Instead, demonstrate your value by advancing the most critical projects and supporting colleagues with their own challenges. And practice good email etiquette. You don’t want to add to everyone else’s frustration by misusing email. A few tips:
Use a brief, informative subject line that will help recipients recognize anything urgent that necessitates an immediate response. Make sure the subject line accurately conveys the email contents or you’ll lose credibility.
Be careful with “reply all.” We’ve all received email messages when a person means to simply reply to the sender but inadvertently replies to the entire list.
Keep emails brief. Don’t clutter them with extra words or tangential points.
Finally, use working from home to break unproductive routines. Due to our physical distance, a lot of informational meetings are going to turn into emails – and that’s a good thing. Meetings in the office tend to be too long and filled with too many people. Use remote work as an opportunity to streamline how often you meet and with whom. Also, say goodbye to multi-tasking, which research shows only disrupts our thoughts and results in lower productivity.
Messy desks, endless email, wasteful meetings, and multitasking are all clutter from the office that we shouldn’t bring home.
When we eliminate them, we open up space to work efficiently on our most critical and satisfying work. Working without clutter boosts productivity and morale because it gives us more control over how we work. In these difficult times, we face a lot of disruption and uncertainty. But that doesn’t mean we can’t be productive. And focusing on the important, meaningful contributions we make at work can bring us a sense of calm — and even joy — that can be hard to come by right now.
Scott Sonenshein is the co-author with Marie Kondo of Joy at Work. He is the Henry Gardiner Symonds Professor of Management at Rice Business and the bestselling author of Stretch. He received his PhD in organizational behavior from the University of Michigan and has written for The New York Times, TIME, Fast Company, and Harvard Business Review.
In less than three months since the first COVID-19 case was announced in the U.S., the economy of the Houston area has ground to a halt. There is justifiable anxiety among all stakeholders — business owners and shareholders, employees, customers and suppliers — about the economic impact of this enemy.
Yet, during these tough times, there is solid cause for optimism, because Houston companies are battle-tested and uniquely poised to win the war against COVID-19. Below are five strengths of Houston businesses that will help them bounce back:
Houston companies are generous and give back.
The experience of having lived through many natural disasters has provided a wealth of experiential knowledge and prepared businesses to face adversity. From Hurricane Ike in 2008 to Hurricane Harvey in 2017, Houston-area businesses have fought and won many such battles due to their spirit of generosity, helping others and giving back. And they are contributing again: Mattress Mack is collecting food for home-bound seniors, Baker Hughes is helping produce and distribute anti-coronavirus gear, Gulf Coast Distillers is making hand sanitizer. The symbolic value of these gestures in inspiring employees and keeping up their customers’ spirits cannot be overstated.
Houston companies are nimble.
Yes, oil prices are down 30 percent. Yes, the lockdown due to the pandemic is affecting Houston businesses. But this is not their first rodeo. As companies downsize, reduce headcount, slash dividends and battle the prospect of bankruptcy, they have developed an enterprising system of resurgence. When the economy rebounds, experienced employees who may have been let go will be among the first to be rehired. The capital markets in Houston are mature and can readily handle these busts and emerge even stronger. Businesses incorporate oil prices over the next three to 10 years in their choices and consider volatility in their forecast. In the COVID-19 aftermath, not only will the oil and gas industry emerge stronger, but so will other sectors: small businesses, health care, technology and education.
Houston companies put safety first.
For many cities and businesses, “safety first” is a novel concept. This is not the case for Houston companies, especially oil and gas companies with well-developed safety practices and protocols that are enshrined in a strong culture of safety. Every meeting in most companies starts with a “safety minute” reminding employees to observe safety protocols during work and personal life. We believe this culture of safety first makes employees of Houston companies more compliant with national guidelines designed to stem the spread of COVID-19.
Houston companies support self-isolation through work-from-home protocols.
As Houstonians work from home for the next few months, the business sector’s investments in internet connectivity, employee training and other infrastructure will be immensely valuable. The reach of many Houston companies means their customers, employees, suppliers and key stakeholders are scattered across the globe, working 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They have mature infrastructures to support remote connectivity and WFH protocols. A recent survey identified Texas as being one of the best equipped states in terms of WFH preparedness. Texas is also ranked second among all states in terms of jobs that support WFH.
Houston businesses have embraced diversity.
Whether due to universities that attract students from all over the world, energy companies with globally distributed employees, or the massive Texas Medical Center campus that draws talent from across the world, Houston has been renowned as of America’s most diverse cities for more than a decade. A diverse workforce brings unique perspectives and ideas that not only help develop unique solutions to crises, but can also prevent them by assessing risks early and holistically. The openness of Houston to embracing diversity shows up in small but meaningful ways: identifying with the community, fostering a collective sense of responsibility to the community and banding together to in response to major crises such as COVID-19.
As we stay confined and isolated in our homes, we want to remind everyone about the toughness and tenacity of Houston businesses. The months that follow a flattened curve will soon turn to coping and adapting as Houston businesses build on the five strengths that will help them recover. Houston companies should feel cautious, but also confident and optimistic about thriving in the new normal. They have faced similar challenges before — and won.
Vikas Mittal is the J. Hugh Liedtke Professor of Marketing at Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business.
Shrihari Sridhar is the Joe Foster ’56 Chair in Business Leadership and Professor of Marketing at Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School.
Communities around the country — and the world — are taking unprecedented steps to limit the spread of the coronavirus, essentially isolating people from everyone but their immediate families. These new, seemingly drastic social distancing requirements are uncomfortable and scary for almost everyone, and for good reason: We are social beings, hard-wired to connect. Without our routine interactions — at work, at the gym, at the store, etc. — we may start to feel depressed and unmoored. But there are benefits to shaking up our routines and feeling uncomfortable, especially when it comes to creativity.
I’ve studied creativity for more than two decades, and my research shows that times of disruption and upheaval can lead us to new insights and nudge us to innovate in ways we’d never have considered before. In many ways, it’s an opportunity in disguise.
First, social isolation gives us the time and space to identify inefficient work processes. Many of us have been following the same daily routines for so long that they’ve become outmoded — but we’ve never taken the time to examine them and see that a better way exists. A company I studied used to hold frequent brainstorming meetings to generate ideas for new products. At each meeting, dozens of employees would sit in a room, whoever had a new idea would speak, and the team leader would write the idea on a white board. Toward the end of each hour-long meeting, the leader would select a few ideas from the board for further consideration. For years, they generated their new product ideas in this way. When I asked each participant privately whether this process worked well, and gave them time and space to think it through, they realized this process was no longer effective — and they came up with a better one.
My research shows that one of the best ways to achieve this psychological freedom — and the creativity it fosters — is to isolate ourselves.
Professor Jing Zhou
Mary Gibbs Jones Professor of Management and Psychology - Organizational Behavior
Now that social distancing has given us a lot of time and fewer interruptions, we can ask ourselves, when things go back to normal, are there better ways of managing projects? Which parts of your daily or weekly routine are no longer necessary? What is the one new thing that you should start doing to make yourself happy and productive?
This might seem daunting to those who are already feeling overwhelmed and uneasy in the midst of this crisis, and that’s understandable. But it doesn’t mean you can’t channel your angst into creative solutions. Interestingly, my colleague Rice Business emeritus professor Jennifer George and I have found that people in bad moods were in fact more apt at identifying problems at work. But identifying the problem only gets you so far — generating new solutions requires us to use our imagination. And research suggests that we are more imaginative away from the office. Sitting in cubicles, we are surrounded by people coming and going, noises on and off, conversations far and near. We have little control over these interruptions. Even if we have a private office, we have to answer knocks on the door, attend one meeting after another, talk to our co-workers and manage unexpected requests when we walk down the hallway just to get to the bathroom. All of these limit our freedom to let our minds wander to unusual ideas and novel possibilities.
My research shows that one of the best ways to achieve this psychological freedom — and the creativity it fosters — is to isolate ourselves. Many of us intentionally seek out solitude for this very reason. A scientist once told me he went on a solo hiking trip every week because great ideas came to him when he was hiking alone. A renowned mathematician spent a full week each year shut inside his house, alone, solving math problems. During that week, his wife would leave town, and he would neither step foot outside nor engage in any form of communication with others. And we know that nonstop rain kept Mary Shelley indoors for days during a summer retreat near Lake Geneva, allowing her to conceive “Frankenstein.” There are countless other examples of great minds thriving in solitude, and evidence from my research program shows that these are not exceptions, but the rule.
We don’t have to be totally alone to be creative, however. A change of environment can help by exposing us to different ideas than we normally encounter at work, where we’re typically surrounded by the same people — and the same concepts — day after day. Over time, we tend to adopt the perspectives and approaches that fit with our workplace. By cutting us off from those people and those ideas, the current health crisis gives us a chance to deliberately acquire knowledge and information in different fields and learn, remotely, from people we normally have little chance to interact with.
My colleagues and I have found that connecting with people you don’t talk to very often helps you acquire new information from different fields, which can yield fresh ideas for tackling existing problems in your own field. Indeed, the information that led Zappos founder Tony Hsieh to decide on starting a new business selling shoes online did not come from his close friends, but from a person with whom he had communicated infrequently.
Finally, social distancing and isolation may allow us to uncover our own hidden talents, inspiring us to express our feelings artistically. From late January to early March, in order to halt the rapid spread of the coronavirus, all of China was in lockdown. In some cities, people were only allowed to go out once a week to buy food and medicine. Whereas some chafed at these constraints, others accepted what they couldn’t control and tried to be creative with what they could control.
Social media posts gave us a glimpse of their creativity. One man I came across on WeChat kept up his daily jogging routine by running endless loops from his bedroom to his kitchen and back in his tiny apartment. He created a remote competition so his friends could join him. A woman saved the roots of onions and celery stalks after cutting vegetables to cook for dinner. She put those roots in bowls of water, and posted pictures every day of the shoots growing and buds emerging; she used the plants as decorations on her dinner table. Countless Instagram posts and TikTok videos attest to the growing body of performance art being produced in quarantine — some of it hilarious, some absurd and some truly beautiful.
My research shows that people, and entire cultures, can produce some of their most creative works in times of crisis. It may take us time to adjust to this new way of life, and no one knows how long the upheaval will last. I sincerely hope it won’t be for much longer. But while the pandemic endures, we can make the most of it by embracing the disruption to our ordinary routine and letting our creative juices flow.
Jing Zhou is the Mary Gibbs Jones Professor of Management and Psychology at Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business.
