Deep Work is a concept developed by Georgetown Professor Cal Newport. In his book Deep Work. Rules for focused success in a distracted world, he presents the idea and how to achieve it. This was one of my favorite books in 2023, and the content can be summarized to the following:
What is Deep Work? Deep work is when you are focusing without distraction on a cognitive demanding task. This is the type of work where you perform superior outcome, e.g. writing a strategy memo. The problem, however, is that such important, demanding work is normally interrupted by distractions like e-mail, phone calls or social media. Such shift in attention will reduce the quality of the cognititve demanding work tasks.
Why is it important? In many professional contexts Deep Work, as opposite to shallow work, is what makes a difference or as the author puts it: moves the needle and crates value. People and organizations mastering deep will create a disproportionate competitive advantage. This does not mean that less cognitive work is not important.
How to do it better? The first step is to acknowledge what deep work is and why it is important. Second step is to actually prioritize it and be conscious about the deep work / shallow work ratio. The optimal ratio will of course depend on what work or position you have. Then schedule deep work in your calendar like a meeting or appointment. This can be done certain days during the week or certains times during each work day. Finally you have to train your ability to work concentrated. This includes avoiding distractions described above. Training for increased consentration stamina can also include activities like reading books meditation or playing chess.
Here is a short video of the author presenting Deep Work:
And here is a slightly more entertaining presentation: