Only three levels of indirection from the (purported) original source! I'm convinced.
I tried tracking down the original study, because I have access to the internet, and eventually found http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/002493.h..., in which the guy who ran the original "study" says how ridiculous the reaction to it is.
Too late now, though - every other blog post about productivity mentions how Tim Ferris mentions that Josh Waitzkin mentioned that he heard about it. The next one I see will probably use this post as its source.
The old saw (from the days when you worked for the same company for decades and retired with a pension):
Companies pay employees just enough not to quit; Employees work just hard enough not to get fired.
And I am still talking about productivity here in the way that because my life is organized into such organized blocks of time it's easy for me to go 120% during each time. I know I can't pay my mortgage, take Jiu Jitsu, have the quality of life I do if I don't work hard. So my job gets me 100% 8 hours a day, for 5 days a week. It's a compromise and one I'm willing to make.
Working at home or on flexible schedules (and again I have a pretty flexible schedule) sounds great until you realize that teams can't collaborate together as effectively; deadlines still need to be achieved, and so on. Really if you're having problems with productivity or with work not being finished in-time; then check what you're expecting of your team.
My .02.
The typical office environment is the antithesis of what you need to achieve 'flow'.
Fact is, I did not want to be him working 4 - 1 for the rest of my life. Most sales jobs require odd hours, pushes on weekends, and a different skill-set than other types of jobs. No thanks, I'll take my 9-5 in exchange of other crappier hours, working on weekends, etc. You take a job, you know what effect it will have your lifestyle, that's really all I'm saying.
Have two lists. It's that simple, really.
List one is edited only when a change in schedule is required, or a new project is added. The second list is edited and revised daily.
More importantly, those two lists are done using pen and paper, which I found to be the best tool for the job.
I work in the media, so it's my job to react to what is happening. Information comes through to my email and if I miss it, we are behind competitors.
Notifications at essential to immediate communication between colleagues who need me to certain things for program output.
That said, I would like a new chair...
