7 lessons on boosting productivity (that I learned in the most unexpected way)
I’ve written books before, but nothing quite like this.
For the last 18 years, I’ve been a professor at Harvard Business School and an advisor to CEOs and governments on their most difficult negotiations. During that time, I’ve published countless articles, quite a few op-eds, and three books. Not surprisingly, almost everything I write fits squarely in the non-fiction category — but a chance conversation last year planted a very different seed in my mind.
No matter how much I tried to push the idea aside to focus on other projects, it just grew. Then it evolved. A few months later, it had transformed into The Peacemaker’s Code, my debut novel — a book about war & peace, strategy & serendipity, history & humanity, and the limits of imagination & possibility.
But when I say I’ve never written “like this” before, I don’t just mean the genre. I’ve never written this fast, this dedicatedly, this efficiently, or this joyfully. I attribute some of that to the content of the book itself, which is hard not to enjoy — but it’s more than that. I wrote almost every night for 85 days straight, and when I was done, I had written a 500 page novel…over 150,000 words that I couldn’t wait to share.
I’m no slouch, and I’ve done a decent amount of good work in my life, but there have certainly been times when my productivity has been dismal. Never were the factors that boost my productivity (and those that zap it) clearer to me than when I was writing this novel — and the lessons I learned during those 85 days are what I want to share here. Whether you’re an entrepreneur or an author, gainfully employed or going to school, pursuing your passion or struggling with work that others have assigned to you, I hope a few of these ideas will be of value to you on your journey. And, if you have lessons of your own to share, please add them in the comments section.
1. Let perfect become an enemy of the good… but not too early!
It’s hard to write 2,000 words in a few hours if you obsess over every sentence. Writing and editing are allies, but your productivity as an author depends on keeping them away from each other. When you’re writing…write. When you no longer need to be writing…edit. The same is true in other endeavors: we get fixated on chiseling when we should be molding. We are often warned not to let perfect become the enemy of the good. I think the real problem is that we allow perfect to become an enemy of the good too soon. Perfect should eventually destroy good, but only after good has done its job.
2. Catch new winds.
I started writing this book out of a sense of curiosity. How would I tackle a story like this? What would the opening scene be? Can I really get into this? How would I weave together insights on strategy, negotiation and history into fast-paced fiction? A few weeks into the project, I was writing more out of a sense of excitement. What’s going to happen next? How will this get resolved? Wait, did I just write that? Oh, wow! Some weeks later, I had an additional motivation: almost a dozen people were reading the book as I wrote it, and they wanted more, so I owed it to them to keep writing. A short while later, I realized I had fallen in love with the characters and the story and how everything was fitting together, and now I was driven by something altogether different: I want the world to meet these people. I want to tell their story. This is a journey people are going to love.
The curiosity never went away. The excitement never faded. The sense of obligation to my readers did not diminish. I still love the idea that someone like you might read this book. But the curiosity alone could not have gotten me to the finish line. The excitement itself would not have been enough. The wind that gets the boat out of harbor will not guide it all the way across the sea. You must catch new winds. You have to look for and embrace new motivations at different phases of the project. Passion will get you through some parts, but not all — so don’t get disappointed if it fades or gets overshadowed at times. For other parts of the journey, allow other motivations to carry you: curiosity, excitement, deadlines, obligation, momentum, habit, exploration, incentives, joy, and even frustration can be your friend (if you’re not too busy getting annoyed that you’re frustrated).
3. Have a cheering section that boos just as loudly.
I’m not going to lie: that was amazing is a lot nicer to hear than this could use some work. But which is more helpful? Some might say constructive criticism is more useful, but I’d say neither. You need both in equal measure. Praise is as important as criticism because — well, we’re human, not machine learning algorithms. Try to surround yourself with people who care enough — and have good enough EQ — to give you the kudos and kicks you need to boost your productivity and quality. Despite good intentions from the cheering section, and even when it helps you fix problems that need addressing, you’ll probably take the negative stuff a little personally at times. That’s ego, and it’s not always easy to keep in check…which is why the cheers help.
4. Allow healthy distractions.
Distractions are not all bad — some of them rejuvenated me and rekindled my excitement for the project. Others were a time sink and did nothing to inspire me to greater heights. So, how do we get more of the good kind and fewer of the bad kind? I’ve come to understand that we not only “get” distracted, we also “need” distractions. So, instead of delaying until my mind and body can’t take it anymore — in which case I will get distracted by whatever happens to come my way — it’s better to stop before it’s too late and choose what will distract me. Better to spend some time with my kids, sneak in a short workout, or chit-chat with an early reader before reaching the breaking point, than to find myself mindlessly doom-scrolling on the internet or flipping channels.
5. Choose what you will sacrifice…
…or it will choose you. Like distractions, sacrifices are inevitable. And, just like distractions, if you are not deliberate about which ones you allow, the wrong ones will surely emerge. I decided that I would not sacrifice time with my kids, but I would be willing to get less sleep. So, most of my writing during those three months took place between 11pm and 3am (not the part of my approach that I recommend for most people). I also decided not to take time away from Jiu Jitsu classes, or from working on the HBS course I launched last year (War & Peace: The Lessons of History) — but I would delay my plans for the non-fiction book I had wanted to start. If I hadn’t confronted these necessary tradeoffs consciously, and had just gone with the flow, it would have been easy to lose sight (day-to-day) of what matters most to me. You can certainly keep chugging along despite having inadvertently sacrificed the wrong things — but only for a while. Eventually it takes a toll on everything, including your productivity.
6. Multi-tasking is mostly bad.
I spent (far) too many years taking pride in the fact that I was a great multi-tasker. Then I read some research that suggested human beings are, for the most part, pretty bad at multi-tasking, so I decided to give single-tasking a shot. It was a game-changer. I now try to maximize the length of time I spend on something in one stretch, and minimize the number of switches. Book writing was the ultimate test of this approach. On a typical night, I’d go between three and five hours without switching to any other item on my to-do list. Just…writing. I still had some nights where I slipped into old habits, but I was far less productive overall when I did that.
7. Don’t try to be a hero.
In retrospect, there were a few too many nights where I should have called it quits half-an-hour earlier than I did. I’d be exhausted at 3am, but decide to push ahead until 3:30. Those last 30 minutes didn’t contribute much to my productivity, and they weren’t worth the lost sleep. Not to mention, it always feels better when you end the night on a high note, as opposed to when the screen is a blur. Being more rested and refreshed is (obviously) good for productivity, but so is ending on that high note. You’re more excited and better positioned the following day to pick up where you left off.
Speaking of ending on a high note, that’s all for the “lessons learned”. I hope you found something of value here to take along with you.
If you’re interested in The Peacemaker’s Code… see below for a blurb + reviews of the book, followed by some info about me. I’d be delighted to get your reactions to the book if you read it. Best wishes…
~ Order the e-book/Kindle edition here: https://amzn.to/2YcfSEl
[The link is for the Amazon website in the U.S. If you’re located elsewhere, you will have to go to your country’s Amazon site & type in the book title.]
~ About the book (The Peacemaker’s Code):
Professor Kilmer, a renowned historian of war and diplomacy, is collected from his home and whisked off to Washington, D.C. Thrust into the highest levels of government as an adviser to the President, the young historian must come to terms with the seemingly impossible, figure out how to navigate a world where not everything is as it seems, and use all the skills and knowledge he has acquired in his life to help save humanity from a conflict of truly historic proportions. The book is a page-turner, with a sci-fi hook and many twists & turns, but embedded throughout the novel are some genuinely cerebral elements… lessons and insights on strategy, history, negotiation, war & peace, and the human condition.
~ Reviews of The Peacemaker’s Code from a few early readers
“A gripping tale of ultimate conflict… A shocking debut from a master of non-fiction, showing us that Deepak Malhotra can do it all. Highly recommended.”
— New York Times bestselling author, Hugh Howey
“The Peacemaker’s Code is much more than a thrilling and compulsive read. Deepak Malhotra’s first novel is a lasting guide to the skills we need to negotiate with each other and address our deep divisions.”
— Jonathan Powell, former Chief of Staff to UK Prime Minister Tony Blair; chief British negotiator on Northern Ireland; founder of Inter-Mediate; author of Talking to Terrorists
“The Peacemaker’s Code is a stunning genre-bending debut novel that grabs you from the first page and continues to shock and thrill until the climactic conclusion. Whether you are a fan of thrillers, sci-fi, romance, or mystery, you will enjoy The Peacemaker’s Code.”
— Daryl Morey, President of the Philadelphia 76ers; 2019 NBA Executive of the Year; Co-founder of the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference
~ About the author
Deepak Malhotra is a professor at Harvard Business School, and the award-winning author of Negotiation Genius and Negotiating the Impossible. He is an advisor to CEOs (on matters of strategy and negotiation), and to governments that are trying to negotiate an end to intractable armed conflicts. In 2020, Deepak launched a new course at Harvard, entitled War & Peace: The Lessons of History for Strategy, Leadership, Negotiation, Policy, and Humanity. Also, in 2020, he was named Business School “Professor of the Year” by Poets & Quants. The Peacemaker’s Code is Deepak’s fourth book, and his debut novel.
