The 2011 Idea Execution Audit
Wednesday, June 15, 2011 at 5:29AM by Jocelyn K. Glei
So what does idea execution look like? Below we share our thoughts on some of the more unexpected and intriguing survey results.
Email Is Our Biggest Distraction
Respondents said that over 60% of their communication took place over email or instant message, outpacing face-to-face conversations (22%) by almost 3 to 1. At the same time, email was ALSO listed as the number one distraction from getting work done, with Facebook as a distant runner-up.
Therein lies the crux of the email problem. It's become THE go-to communication tool, but it's also a huge productivity drain -- which is why having an email management strategy has become so crucial.
Solo Entrepreneurs & Home Offices on the Rise
We also confirmed our suspicions that: a) the co-working movement is seriously gaining steam within the creative professional community, and b) the creative workforce, in general, is becoming more mobile and fragmented. According to our poll, the home office (38%) is now almost as popular as the company office (49%) among creatives.
While this flexibility and freedom is -- of course -- awesome, it's also a great argument for honing our organizational skills. As the typical big company bureaucracy breaks down, independent workers will have more and more administrative-type details to manage -- on top of being creative geniuses!
The Best Insights Come During Downtime
As we discussed in a recent article on Brian Eno's creative process, it's not uncommon for great ideas to strike when we're taking a break. The 2011 Idea Execution Audit results confirmed that stepping away from our desks -- both to recharge and let our minds wander -- is as valuable as slogging away at the computer.
While we're not suggesting you switch your work regime to all naps and strolls and daydreaming, it's worth noting that energy renewal is as closely related to making ideas happen as "keeping busy."
To check out the full results of our annual survey, get the full Idea Execution Audit infographic below.
This year's annual Idea Execution Audit is powered by BlackBerry. For more tips on streamlining your creative process and workflow, visit our ongoing "Daily Actions" article series.
Reader Comments (1)
This statement was inciteful: "the creative workforce, in general, is becoming more mobile and fragmented. According to our poll, the home office (38%) is now almost as popular as the company office (49%) among creatives." Since home office work and/or mobile office work greatly cuts down on overhead it is easy to see why the increase in home office. An example: A company I know with multiple employes and storefront in excellent locations comment, "I've never seen it this bad. We have no new incoming business." So for years they've relied on 'word of mouth' recommendations, Yellow page ads and walk in clientele. Today their business is failing. It is tell-tale of the future. Smart biz folks need to reevaluate constantly. Maybe even part of your business could become home based. Maybe with a little futuristic thinking a move away from the popular (expensive) storefront area could relocate your business location and drastically drop overhead. I think the point is: don't plan, don't change...prepare to fail. Pragmatic innovations following the needs and applications of the future not the past is a MUST>