Knowledge work is broken but it can be fixed.
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Sustainable pace
Instead of chasing every deadline, saying ‘yes’ to every request, and being always open for interruptions, we need to aim for a level of productivity and output that can be sustained without sacrificing mental and physical health, or work-life balance.
Instead of experiencing peaks and valleys of productivity and burnout, we need to work in a way that allows us to stay engaged, motivated and energised over the long term. Slow is steady, and steady is fast.
Instead of assuming that there is a tradeoff between sustainable ways of working and productivity, we need to acknowledge that the ability to balance workloads and deadlines, reduce attrition, and maintain a steady level of productivity makes work more predictable, planning and scheduling easier, and supports organisational effectiveness as a whole.
CONTACT ME FOR:
Training
Coaching
Speaking
I have been a student of productivity and effectiveness in knowledge work since 2008, and started training and coaching it professionally in 2015. My clientele has included private and public sector organisations, as well as non-profits. I have also been invited as a speaker in numerous events and conferences over the years.
Many of the factors that make modern knowledge work stressful and unsustainable are also harmful to organisational effectiveness and productivity. The underlying problem is that our ways of working are not aligned with the way our brains have evolved to process information. Sustainable pace is about creating that much needed alignment by focusing on six principles.
Principles for sustainable and effective knowledge work
Focus on impact and value
Prioritise work that creates value. Optimise work that is necessary. Avoid work that is useless or wasteful.
Make work visible
The more fragmented your visibility to tasks, projects and other commitments is, the more difficult it is to plan and prioritise.
Reduce work-in-progress
The amount of overhead work increases exponentially with the number of things going on at the same time.
Plan for the unexpected
The less there is slack in your schedule, the more time you will spend doing overhead work when surprises happen.
Minimise context-switching
Shifting attention between tasks or contexts drastically slows down your ability to get things done. The more you do it, the more it causes delays and drains your energy.
Manage energy, not time
The impact of your work does not directly correlate with how much time you spend doing it. This is especially true in creative work and problem-solving.
Recent feedback from trainings and events
Corporate event, 2023
“External speaker Sami Paju was the best seen so far for this kind of topic, and the topic itself was very inspiring.”
Corporate training, 2024
“Great practical tips on working at a sustainable pace! Very enjoyable training session and highly engaging.”
Corporate training, 2024
“Highly valuable and would recommend!”
Corporate training, 2024
“Very clear and concise training with plenty of practical examples and tips as well as theoretical background.”
Get in touch
Email
info@samipaju.com
Location
I am based in Espoo, Finland.
Open for travel and international requests.