Smarter Faster Better
Tags: #productivity #self-help #psychology #neuroscience #business #teamwork #decision-making #innovation
Authors: Charles Duhigg
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Overview
In this book, I investigate the science of productivity, exploring why some individuals and organizations are so much more effective than others. Through in-depth research and engaging storytelling, I uncover eight key insights that can help anyone become smarter, faster, and better at everything they do. This book is for anyone struggling with information overload, procrastination, or the feeling that they are constantly falling behind. I believe that productivity is not about working longer or harder, but about making certain choices in certain ways. By understanding the science of motivation, goal setting, focus, teamwork, managing others, decision making, innovation, and data absorption, readers can develop a practical toolkit for achieving peak performance in all aspects of their lives. These principles apply not just to personal productivity but also offer a framework for building more effective teams, managing others productively, and fostering a culture of innovation within organizations. In an age where technology constantly bombards us with information and demands our attention, understanding these principles is more crucial than ever. My goal is to empower readers to take control of their time, energy, and attention so they can achieve their goals and live more fulfilling lives. This book provides both a scientific understanding of productivity and practical, actionable strategies for implementing these principles in your daily life. By learning to think differently about the choices we make, we can unlock a level of productivity we never thought possible.
Book Outline
1. MOTIVATION
This chapter explores the science of motivation. I show how a sense of control over our actions and choices is crucial in generating the drive to achieve goals. The military, for instance, turns directionless teenagers into Marines by emphasizing choices that are “biased toward action,” boosting their internal locus of control.
Key concept: To motivate ourselves, we must feel like we are in control.
2. TEAMS
This chapter examines the dynamics of effective teams. I introduce the concept of psychological safety, a critical factor in fostering group intelligence and high performance. Drawing on research at Google and the early days of Saturday Night Live, I illustrate how group norms that prioritize open communication, respect for diverse opinions, and a sense of security can unlock a team’s true potential.
Key concept: Psychological safety is a “shared belief, held by members of a team, that the group is a safe place for taking risks.”
3. FOCUS
This chapter explores the science of focus and attention. In an age of increasing automation, our tendency to slip into “cognitive tunneling” becomes more pronounced. To counter this, I emphasize the importance of building robust mental models— internal narratives and visualizations of expected scenarios — that help us direct our attention to the right details and make better decisions under pressure.
Key concept: You can think about your brain’s attention span like a spotlight that can go wide and diffused, or tight and focused.
4. GOAL SETTING
This chapter delves into the art of goal setting. I demonstrate how setting both stretch goals — ambitious, seemingly impossible aims — and SMART goals — objectives that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound — is essential for achieving peak productivity. I use the historical example of the Yom Kippur War to illustrate the dangers of becoming too focused on achievable goals and neglecting ambitious, long-term objectives, and I show how GE transformed its manufacturing processes using stretch goals.
Key concept: In short, we need stretch and SMART goals.
5. MANAGING OTHERS
This chapter focuses on managing others. I highlight the importance of building a culture of trust and commitment within organizations. Drawing on examples from Toyota’s NUMMI plant and the FBI’s development of its Sentinel software system, I illustrate how empowering employees, decentralizing decision-making, and encouraging a sense of responsibility can drastically improve performance and unlock innovation.
Key concept: Good employees are always the hardest asset to find.
6. DECISION MAKING
This chapter explores the science of decision making through the lens of Bayesian psychology. Using the story of professional poker player Annie Duke, I demonstrate how embracing uncertainty and thinking probabilistically — calculating odds and envisioning multiple futures — can improve our ability to forecast, make difficult choices, and navigate complex situations.
Key concept: Probabilities are the closest thing to fortune-telling, but you have to be strong enough to live with what they tell you might occur.
7. INNOVATION
This chapter focuses on the power of innovation. I delve into the processes that lead to creative breakthroughs, emphasizing the importance of combining familiar ideas in novel ways. Using examples from Broadway’s West Side Story and Disney’s Frozen, I illustrate how “creative desperation” and a willingness to act as “innovation brokers” — individuals who connect ideas from diverse fields and experiences — are essential for generating fresh insights and original solutions.
Key concept: Creativity is just connecting things.
8. ABSORBING DATA
This chapter examines how we absorb data and turn information into actionable knowledge. I discuss the phenomenon of “information blindness,” our tendency to shut down when confronted with too much data, and offer solutions for making information “disfluent” — harder to absorb initially, but more meaningful and useful in the long run. Using examples from Cincinnati’s public school reforms, I show how making data tangible and engaging can help us extract insights that would otherwise remain hidden.
Key concept: There’s a difference between finding an answer and understanding what it means.
Essential Questions
1. What are the core cognitive principles that drive productivity, and how can individuals leverage them to achieve better results?
True productivity hinges on understanding how our brains function and making choices that align with these cognitive processes. This involves recognizing that motivation is tied to a sense of control, focus is enhanced by building mental models, and effective goal setting requires a balance of ambition and practicality. By understanding these principles, individuals can make wiser decisions about how they allocate their time, energy, and attention.
2. What are the essential elements of a high-performing team, and how can leaders foster a culture of productivity and innovation?
High-performing teams share a sense of psychological safety—a belief that it’s safe to take risks and express ideas without fear of punishment or ridicule. This culture of trust is fostered by leaders who model open communication, encourage diverse opinions, and respond constructively to mistakes. By creating an environment where everyone feels heard and respected, teams unlock a higher level of collective intelligence and creativity.
3. How can we overcome information overload and learn to effectively process and apply the data that surrounds us?
In an age of information overload, our ability to learn and make good decisions is increasingly challenged by “information blindness” and cognitive biases. To counter this, we must develop strategies for making information “disfluent”—harder to process initially, but stickier and more meaningful in the long run. This involves engaging with data actively, testing assumptions, and using decision-making frameworks that challenge our natural tendencies to oversimplify or seek certainty.
Key Takeaways
1. Distribute Decision-Making Power to Unleash Expertise and Innovation
Productivity is amplified when decision-making is pushed down to the people closest to the work. In an agile organization, anyone can become an expert, whether they are attaching mufflers on a car or writing code for a complex software system. By empowering employees at all levels to contribute their knowledge and make decisions, organizations can tap into a wealth of creativity and problem-solving skills.
Practical Application:
Imagine you’re developing a new AI product. Rather than solely relying on the expertise of senior engineers, encourage junior team members to propose solutions, even if those ideas seem unconventional. By creating a culture where everyone feels safe to contribute, you might uncover a brilliant solution that would have otherwise been overlooked. If a junior engineer suggests using a technique inspired by a research paper they read, seriously consider testing it, as it might lead to a breakthrough.
2. Embrace Uncertainty and Envision Multiple Futures for Better Decision-Making
Becoming skilled at making choices requires a shift in mindset from seeking certainty to embracing uncertainty. By envisioning the future as multiple possibilities, rather than a single fixed outcome, we can better anticipate challenges, weigh the odds of different scenarios, and make more informed decisions. This approach allows us to adapt more effectively when the unexpected occurs and to navigate the inherent ambiguity of future events.
Practical Application:
When designing a user interface for an AI assistant, consider potential future scenarios: Will users primarily interact via voice commands, text, or gestures? Will they use the assistant at home, in the car, or on the go? By envisioning diverse possibilities, even contradictory ones, you’ll be better equipped to create a design that is adaptable and anticipates user needs. If early user testing reveals that voice interactions are more common than anticipated, you can adjust the design accordingly to prioritize voice-based features and optimize the user experience.
3. Connect Tasks to Meaningful Goals to Spark Motivation
To generate self-motivation, we need to see our choices as affirmations of our values and goals. This is especially important when confronted with tedious tasks or challenging projects. By linking daily chores to larger aspirations, we transform mundane activities into meaningful actions. When we understand why we’re doing something and how it contributes to something we care about, motivation becomes more sustainable and less reliant on external rewards.
Practical Application:
If you’re leading a team developing a new AI algorithm, don’t just focus on technical goals. Help your team understand why their work is important. Connect the project to a larger mission, such as improving healthcare or making transportation safer. Explain how their specific tasks contribute to this bigger vision. By linking daily tasks to meaningful goals, you can boost motivation and help your team see their work as a series of choices that affirm their values.
Suggested Deep Dive
Chapter: Chapter 5: Managing Others
This chapter, with its focus on lean and agile management, offers a compelling framework for building a culture of trust and distributed decision-making. These principles are critical for fostering innovation and high performance within AI teams, where individuals often need to work independently, adapt quickly to new information, and feel empowered to take risks and pursue unconventional ideas.
Memorable Quotes
Chapter 1: Motivation. 22
“Each choice—no matter how small—reinforces the perception of control and self-efficacy.”
Chapter 2: Teams. 51
“It describes a team climate characterized by interpersonal trust and mutual respect in which people are comfortable being themselves.”
Chapter 3: Focus. 88
“You can think about your brain’s attention span like a spotlight that can go wide and diffused, or tight and focused.”
Chapter 4: Goal Setting. 129
“Making yourself break a goal into its SMART components is the difference between hoping something comes true and figuring out how to do it.”
Chapter 5: Managing Others. 163
“Agents learn to investigate by listening to their guts and learning they can change direction when new evidence appears.”
Comparative Analysis
While many productivity books offer surface-level tips and tricks, “Smarter Faster Better” distinguishes itself by diving into the cognitive science behind productivity. It aligns with works like Daniel Kahneman’s “Thinking, Fast and Slow” in its exploration of how our minds make decisions and process information, but Duhigg goes further by offering practical frameworks, such as the SMART goal system and the engineering design process, for leveraging these insights to boost productivity. Unlike books that solely emphasize individual effort, “Smarter Faster Better” also underscores the importance of teamwork and organizational culture, drawing parallels with concepts from management classics like “The Toyota Way” and “Good to Great.” Duhigg’s focus on psychological safety and the power of building trust within teams aligns with contemporary research on organizational behavior and offers a unique perspective on achieving collective intelligence.
Reflection
While “Smarter Faster Better” offers valuable insights into the psychology of productivity, it’s crucial to recognize that these principles are not one-size-fits-all solutions. What works for one person or team may not work for another, and the book’s emphasis on certain methods, like SMART goals, could potentially lead to overly rigid thinking if not applied with nuance. Additionally, while the book champions data-driven decision-making, it’s important to acknowledge the limitations of data and the potential for biases to influence our interpretations. As AI product engineers, we must be particularly mindful of these limitations when designing systems that impact real-world outcomes. Despite these caveats, “Smarter Faster Better” offers a compelling framework for understanding how productivity functions, and its insights are particularly relevant to the challenges faced by those working in the fast-paced, data-driven world of AI and technology.
Flashcards
What does SMART stand for in goal setting?
Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-bound
What are stretch goals?
Ambitious aims that push beyond what seems easily achievable, driving innovation.
What does “spinning” refer to in a creative context?
The feeling of being stuck in a creative rut, unable to see new perspectives or solutions.
What is “cognitive tunneling?”}, {
A mental glitch that causes hyperfocus on immediate stimuli, often at the expense of broader context or common sense.
What is “psychological safety?” } , {
A shared belief held by team members that it’s safe to take risks, express ideas, and make mistakes without fear of punishment or ridicule.
What are “innovation brokers?” } ],
Individuals who connect ideas from different fields and experiences, fostering creative breakthroughs.
What is “lean management”?
A management philosophy focused on empowering employees, decentralizing decision-making, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
What is Bayesian thinking?
A method for calculating probabilities by updating our initial assumptions (prior probabilities) based on new evidence.