Let’s warm up with a couple of neat reads:

• What I read: Loved this piece on The French Dispatch fashion meme. If I had to apply it to TNW, I'd go: Spaces, Programs, Events, Media.
• What I found useful: A loooong time ago I designed the first digital press release for a company now known as pr.co. It’s grown into a full-fledged online newsroom for startups and Fortune 500 companies alike. They’ve just published an incredible PR guide for founders. Check it out!

That's it, now let's move on to the star of the show.

I think, therefore I work

There's a story about one of the chief innovators at Nokia, who receives a call while walking at the beach. After a few minutes, the person calling him asks about the noise in the background, prompting the Nokia chief to explain where he is. The caller then says, "Oh, I thought you were working," to which the innovator replies, "I AM WORKING. I'M THINKING!"

It's a funny story that’s always stuck with me. At a lot of companies, there's an obsession with productivity that seems to overlook human nature… or even actual results.

Basically, if you look serious and your hands are moving, you must be working hard. But if you’re staring at the ceiling with a smile on your face, well, that obviously means you’re slacking.

I feel like this outlook is based on the archaic master/servant relationship which defined work-life at the beginning of the previous century: the boss tells the manager what to do, who then makes the employee do it.

And although I'm not a fan of design by decision, or even democracy as a management form, I do think that empowering your people and allowing them to do their best work is a more enduring and scalable strategy than treating them as soldiers in your imaginary army.

Every now and again, you hear a story about a company that blocks social media or specific websites to save their staff from ‘distraction.’ The theory being that people should work at work, and only engage in distractions during their off-hours — such as social media or calling your significant other about whether there's enough toilet paper at home.

But this doesn’t describe the reality of employees' lives. It isn't binary with work and private life neatly compartmentalized.

You worry about a client while you're preparing dinner. You think about a proposal you're writing while the kids swim, and you might reply to a few emails or write a memo in bed when you’re finally relaxed enough to get your thoughts straight.

Sure, some people clock out at 5 pm and stop thinking about everything. But I’m guessing those people probably spend less time on personal stuff at the office. In the end, life is chaotic and fluid, and we should allow people to feel human at work.

If that means taking a call from a friend, then so be it.

Like this and want to share it with a friend? Here's the link to the published version.