A Googler’s guide to getting things done

Update: 2024-08-18

Digest

This episode of the "Works Smarter" series features an interview with Laura May Martin, a Google productivity coach, who discusses her book "Uptime" and her approach to redefining productivity. The conversation delves into the shift towards a more holistic and sustainable view of productivity, emphasizing the importance of well-being and work-life balance. Laura May Martin highlights the importance of having a central communication system to manage incoming requests and reduce stress. She suggests gently nudging people towards using your preferred communication channel, whether it's email, chat, or another method. The episode also explores the concept of downtime and the "crowding out method" to reduce screen time. Laura May Martin advocates for small, realistic changes, like a No Tech Tuesday Night Challenge, to create more space for relaxation and improve focus. Finally, the conversation touches upon the potential of AI to enhance productivity, from automating tasks to providing insights into personal work patterns. David Pierce and Laura May Martin envision AI as a future business partner, helping individuals optimize their workflow and free up time for higher-level thinking.

Outlines

00:00:00

Redefining Productivity: A Holistic Approach

This episode explores the concept of sustainable productivity, moving beyond hustle culture and prioritizing well-being and work-life balance. The conversation features insights from Laura May Martin, a Google productivity coach, who discusses her book "Uptime" and her approach to redefining productivity.

00:02:53

The Power of Central Communication

Laura May Martin emphasizes the importance of having a central communication system to manage incoming requests and reduce stress. She suggests gently nudging people towards using your preferred communication channel, whether it's email, chat, or another method.

00:03:31

Mastering Downtime and Reducing Screen Time

This segment delves into the importance of downtime and the "crowding out method" to reduce screen time. Laura May Martin advocates for small, realistic changes, like a No Tech Tuesday Night Challenge, to create more space for relaxation and improve focus.

00:43:54

The Future of Productivity: AI as a Business Partner

David Pierce and Laura May Martin discuss the potential of AI to enhance productivity, from automating tasks to providing insights into personal work patterns. They envision AI as a future business partner, helping individuals optimize their workflow and free up time for higher-level thinking.

Keywords

Sustainable Productivity

A holistic approach to productivity that prioritizes well-being, work-life balance, and long-term effectiveness, rather than short-term output maximization.

Hustle Culture

A work culture that emphasizes constant striving, long hours, and achieving maximum output, often at the expense of well-being and work-life balance.

Digital Minimalism

A philosophy that encourages intentional and mindful use of technology, focusing on essential tools and practices that enhance well-being and productivity.

Central Communication System

A single, preferred communication channel for managing incoming requests and reducing stress, such as email or chat.

Downtime

Time dedicated to relaxation, reflection, and non-work activities, essential for maintaining well-being and improving focus.

Crowding Out Method

A technique for reducing screen time by engaging in other activities that naturally displace digital usage.

AI-Powered Productivity Tools

Software applications that leverage artificial intelligence to automate tasks, provide insights, and enhance workflow efficiency, supporting individuals in achieving their productivity goals.

Q&A

How can we redefine productivity beyond hustle culture and achieve a more sustainable approach?
Laura May Martin advocates for a holistic view of productivity that prioritizes well-being and long-term effectiveness. She emphasizes the importance of incorporating downtime, managing energy flows, and finding a balance between work and personal life.
What is the importance of having a central communication system for managing incoming requests?
Laura May Martin suggests having a preferred communication channel, such as email or chat, to direct all incoming requests and reduce the stress of managing multiple communication platforms. This helps create a single point of contact for work-related communication.
How can we effectively manage downtime and reduce excessive screen time?
Laura May Martin recommends the "crowding out method," where engaging in other activities, such as walks or hobbies, can naturally reduce screen time. She also suggests small, realistic changes, like a No Tech Tuesday Night Challenge, to create more space for relaxation and improve focus.
What is the potential of AI to enhance productivity in the future?
Laura May Martin believes AI can play a significant role in productivity by automating tasks, providing insights into personal work patterns, and acting as a business partner to help individuals optimize their workflow and free up time for higher-level thinking.

Show Notes

Laura Mae Martin is a big believer in the settings menu. Martin is Google’s Executive Productivity Advisor, and spends much of her time working with other Googlers on improving their productivity and communication systems — and one of the things she often recommends is taking a few minutes to poke through the options. “With your phone, with your email, your Slack, all these things, the features are there but we don’t take the time to dive into them,” she says. She even thinks you should maybe have to look at settings before you can use the app. “Like, you can’t get into the app unless you spend 10 minutes figuring out what it can do.”

On this episode of The Vergecast, the first in our three-part miniseries about all things productivity and work, we talk to Martin about how she sees things changing. Four years after the pandemic forced us all to work from home, are we finally figuring out remote and hybrid work? Are managers realizing that butts-in-seats isn’t, and maybe was never, a good metric for productivity? And is the era of the hard-charging hustle bro finally giving way to a healthier, more holistic way of thinking about being productive? Martin sees all these things from so many perspectives, and has lots of thoughts on everything from communication styles to energy flows.

We also talk about the rise in digital productivity tools like Notion and Slack, and why email is still so important — and still so terrible. One of Martin’s jobs at Google is to consult with the teams building Workspace apps like Docs and Gmail, and she has lots of thoughts on how those product works and how they could be better. We also talk about whether AI stands to change the way we get things done, and whether it’ll help us do more or just give us more to do.

Along the way, Martin offers us lots of practical tips on how to manage our digital lives a little better. Charging your phone outside the bedroom, no-tech Tuesdays, and a couple of prettier email labels might actually go a long way. And if you have too many notes in too many places, it’s time to get a Main List going.

If you want to know more on everything we talk about in this episode, here are a few links to get you started: