Optimize for speed of retrieval rather than speed of saving
Summary
- It is more efficient in the long run to optimize for speed of retrieval rather than speed of transfer
Details
- This means having a logical and clear place to store information
- Pull communication is more effective than push communication. Push communication is when info is pushed to you when the sender needs to send it. Pull communication is retrieved when it is needed. For example, information stored with a task that needs to be done and that can be called upon when the job needs to be done.
References
Quotes
Optimize for the speed of retrieval of information, not transfer. Storing information in the right place is the best way to alleviate the Scavenger Hunt, even if it might take longer in the moment.
“Your brain is for having ideas, not holding them.” Setting up systems to hold your ideas and reminders (no matter how small) will free up your brain to focus on more important things.
Most organizations are set up as what I call “push” communication environments, where information is pushed at you nonstop. This is what happens when you optimize solely for the speed of transfer of information. Whether it’s a knock on your office door, an incoming email, a phone call, or a text message, information is constantly being pushed at you—and you have no way to control it. These distractions take teams out of their flow states and away from their most important work, creating one of the largest time sucks that I see in companies. The worst part is that most of this information is not immediately relevant to what you’re doing. What would happen if you received that message an hour later? Or at the end of the day? In most cases, it would make absolutely no difference. The problem is that we’re more worried about our own productivity than that of the entire team, and therefore we use the quickest and easiest method in the moment.