Better Communication Quote by Cal Newport
““Does it really help your work to be constantly connected? To do so, she did something extreme: She forced each member of the team to take one day out of the workweek completely off—no connectivity to anyone inside or outside the company. “At first, the team resisted the experiment,” she recalled about one of the trials. “The partner in charge, who had been very supportive of the basic idea, was suddenly nervous about having to tell her client that each member of her team would be off one day a week.” The consultants were equally nervous and worried that they were “putting their careers in jeopardy.” But the team didn’t lose their clients and its members did not lose their jobs. Instead, the consultants found more enjoyment in their work, better communication among themselves, more learning (as we might have predicted, given the connection between depth and skill development highlighted in the last chapter), and perhaps most important, “a better product delivered to the client.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Deep Work, Cal Newport, 2016
Taking a regular, full day offline improves focus, communication, learning, and product quality despite initial resistance.
In simple terms: A weekly unplugged day boosts work and wellbeing.
Key Takeaway
Schedule a no‑connectivity day each week.
Themes
productivity
focus
wellbeing
Mood
motivational
practical
Type
productivity
wellbeing
When to use this quote
- team retreats
- project planning
- client communication
Key Concepts
deep work
digital detox
Questions to Reflect On
- How could a digital detox benefit your team?
- What concerns arise from disconnecting?
A Different Perspective
Some may fear loss of productivity or client dissatisfaction.
