The New Way We Work

In Season 1 of Secrets of the Most Productive People, we examined why people found it so difficult to focus in an open office. This week, we try to figure out how beat the distractions that make open office work so hard. Fast Company editorial assistant, Talib Visram, tried out three different methods to combat open office distractions and then reported back to co-host Pavithra Mohan on what he learned, what he'd do differently, and how effective each method was in helping him be more productive.

On this bonus episode of Secrets of the Most Productive People, Fast Company assistant editor, Pavithra Mohan, and Fast Company staff editor, Julia Herbst, break down the pros and cons of where we get our work done.Open offices have become common place in many industries. While they may give you an opportunity to collaborate at a higher level, you can't always shut out the distractions when you need to get a solitary task done. You can always work from home to beat the distractions, but what are the downsides?Leave Secrets of The Most Productive People a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. You can follow Fast Company on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

On this episode of Secrets of the Most Produtive People, Scott Mebus, VP of video and podcasts for Fast Company and Inc., shires his longtime battle with getting enough sleep with co-host Anisa Purbasari-Horton. Some of his issues include a long commute, having a son who is an early riser, and the day-to-day stress of modern work life. He spoke to Dr. Janet Kennedy, psychologist and founder of NYC Sleep Doctor, about what we can all do to get a little bit more shut-eye.Subscribe to Secrets of the Most Productive People on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, or wherever you get your podcasts

Winning a Formula 1 race is about more than pure speed. Drivers, pit crews, and team managers need to make hundreds of decisions in the blink of an eye, all while flying around a winding track at speeds up to 200 miles per hour. For decades, those decisions were driven by instinct and experience. But modern Formula 1 races are increasingly driven by technology and information, with teams analyzing massive data sets to uncover advantages that can mean the difference between standing in the winner’s circle and coming up a few milliseconds short. Christian Horner, team principal of Red Bull Racing, knows more about what it takes to lead a winning Formula 1 operation than almost anyone. In this episode of Productivity Confidential, we talk to Horner about staying cool under pressure, how data has revolutionized racing, and what it takes to keep a winning team hungry.

Secrets of the Most Productive People returns in February 2020 with Season 4. In the meantime, make sure to catch up on episodes you might have missed on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, or wherever you get your podcasts.

This week's episode is all about YOU. On this bonus episode of Secrets of the Most Productive People, Kate and Anisa answer your most pressing questions about your career, the workplace, and all those other awkward job-related topics.Subscribe to Secrets of the Most Productive People on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, or wherever you get your podcasts

Doctors and nurses have to remain productive under pressure. Their decisions are quite literally life-and-death, and quick access to patient data is vital to making informed decisions about patient needs. For years, that data was managed on pen and paper, but the recent revolution in healthcare data has fueled a technology-driven revolution in how healthcare providers do their jobs. On this episode of Productivity Confidential, we talk to Dr. Anil Jain, chief health information office of IBM’s Watson Health initiative, about how data is creating a brand new frontier of care from state-of-the-art hospitals to rural medical centers around the world.

If you've ever attempted to meet an ambitious goal, you're probably familiar with just how difficult it is to change your habits. You're also probably aware of how much influence the mind has in determining whether or not you'll be successful in that endeavor. Some days, it feels like your brain corresponds with your body and your actions. Other days, it feels like they don't want to do anything to comply.In a bonus episode for Secrets Of The Most Productive People, recorded live at the Fast Company Innovation Festival, we hear from neuroscientist and Fast Company contributor Tara Swart, as well as author and behavioral designer Nir Eyal, as they talk about the relationship between our brains and our actions. We debunk misconceptions like the right brain/left brain concept and the (false) belief that you only use 10% of your brain.Subscribe to Secrets of the Most Productive People on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, or wherever you get your podcasts. 

Productivity and creativity have always been talked about as if they’re two sides of the same coin. You could only be creative if you didn’t have to think about productivity and vice versa. Joe Brown, senior portfolio director at legendary design firm IDEO, thinks that conventional wisdom is faulty. Brown has spent years not only designing products but designing the systems in which those products live, and he’s learned that creating an infrastructure that separates your creative and productive work is less than the sum of its parts. In this episode of Productivity Confidential, we talked to Brown about where creativity and productivity meet—and how technology is making that convergence clearer than ever.

Once revered as a magical work-perk, unlimited vacation has become a polarizing debate among office dwellers. The concept that an individual worker can choose how much vacation they are allowed to claim has inspired passionate opinions on what’s appropriate for workers to expect, what a company hopes for in offering something so elusive, and why any of these opinions matter in the first place. On this BONUS episode of The Secrets of the Most Productive People, Host Kate Davis is joined by the VP of Video and Podcasting, Scott Mebus, to face each other head-to-head and defend their personal stance on unlimited vacation. Subscribe to Secrets of the Most Productive People on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, or wherever you get your podcasts.