Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World

As the title suggests, Deep Work is a book about modern working conditions and how to develop the skills necessary to become more competitive in the new economy. Cal Newport discusses how the principles he elaborates upon can help people discover more meaning in their personal lives, but the primary focus is on work. Newport devotes much attention to illustrating how the modern workplace invites distraction, which is counterproductive to the bottom line.

In a study published by the education company Udemy for Business, distraction in the workplace is a real problem, especially from the employee’s point of view. For example, the study reveals that many of the employees surveyed feel “stressed, unmotivated, and bad about themselves, their jobs, and their careers” (“Udemy in Depth: 2018 Workplace Distraction Report.” Udemy for Business, 2018).

In large part, the study finds that dissatisfaction stems from a lack of productivity, which is due to conditions in the workplace being conducive to distractions. A growing trend in business is the open floor plan model of office space. The same study finds: “The physical setting where we work has undergone a transformation too: open offices are more common than not, and there are no longer any doors or walls to create even the illusion of boundaries or privacy” (“Udemy in Depth: 2018 Workplace Distraction Report”).

Newport spends a great deal of time discussing the unintended consequences of these models, which do not allow for privacy and deep thinking. Instead, these floor plans invite distraction: “chatty coworkers (80%) and office noise (70%) were cited as the top distractors” (“Udemy in Depth: 2018 Workplace Distraction Report”). The idea behind open floor plans is the fostering of collaboration and insight. While this may be true, as the Udemy study shows, and as Newport goes to great lengths to point out, the unintended consequence is that employees are more distracted than ever. This hampers their ability to concentrate, which stifles their ability to be productive.

Newport is not a supporter of social media, generally speaking. He sees social media as a distraction, both at work and at home. The Udemy study found that “Across the general populace, 59% agree that personal use of technology is more distracting than work tools, and Facebook is far and away the top attention thief. A whopping 86% described Facebook as a workplace distraction” (“Udemy in Depth: 2018 Workplace Distraction Report”). Again, in Newport’s estimation, social media is an enemy to productivity, and when a company encourages its use, it can lead employees to lose the ability to focus.

These are just some of the ways the modern workplace is set up to invite distraction. Newport’s main objective in the book is not to call for change on a broad scale. In other words, the book is not intended to inspire CEOs of large companies to change workplace conditions and office designs. Instead, Newport wrote for the individual who, as the Udemy study reveals, is stressed and feeling as though there is little value and meaning in their work. Newport believes that providing readers strategies to develop their ability to focus will help them find meaning and value.