To be smart, slow down, lay back, and don’t try to do so many things at once. That advice seems to be needed to help stimulate productivity from “knowledge workers.” Here are some points from the article:
* “The physiological effects of tiredness are well-known. You can turn a smart person into an idiot just by overworking him.”
* “All one can think and do in a short time is to think what one already knows and to do as one has always done.”
* “One detailed study five years ago by psychologists at the University of Michigan demonstrated that, because the human brain needs time to shift gears between tasks, the more [multitasking] you have to do… the less proficiently you will tackle any of [your tasks].”
The article cites the ever-popular example of Google, a company that fosters a corporate culture of distance from worry with copious on-site amenities and 20% time for free-thinking.
Published or updated March 17, 2006. If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to the RSS feed or receive daily emails. Follow @flexo on Twitter and visit our Facebook page for more updates.
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Luke Landes founded Consumerism Commentary in 2003 and has been building online communities since 1990. Luke, also known as Flexo, has contributed to PC World Magazine, US News, Forbes, and other publications. 
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I think I might like to work under those Google conditions. Seems tough but someone has to do it.