Anthony is author of the "The Hyperfocused Entrepreneur". He also has a Youtube channel with 15k+ subscribers, built and exited two 7-figure companies, and manages a $80M real estate portfolio.
Guest Author: Anthony Vicino
I just learned this insane productivity hack from a guy who sold his business for $75M.
It’s called The Hawthorne Effect.
Here’s how it works:
Back in 1932, General Electric’s management team was looking for ways to improve worker productivity.
And somebody on the team had a somewhat strange idea:
Maybe workers will be more productive if we make the lights brighter.
Uh… okay…
So they hire a team of researchers to come in and see if bright lights or dim lights had any effect on productivity.
They started by cranking up the lights…
And wouldn’t ya know it… worker productivity went up!
Next, they turned DOWN the lights…
(and here’s where things get weird)
Once again, worker productivity went up.
Researchers are scratching their heads…
How can productivity improve in all scenarios?
It’s a mystery that takes another 20 years to sort out when a guy by the name of John French comes along with a theory…
He thinks the increased productivity has nothing to do with the lights…
And everything to do with the fact that the workers KNEW they were being observed.
And thus was born The Hawthorne Effect, which simply states that people modify their behaviors in response to being observed.
This is kind of a no-brainer, right?
This is why stores nowadays post signs like “Smile, you’re on a camera!.”
Now, here’s how we can use this to become more productive:
Work alongside an accountability buddy.
But if you’re an entrepreneur, a creator, or just work from home…
Where on earth are you supposed to find somebody to work with everyday?
Well, this is crazy, but there’s actually an industry forming around the idea of virtual co-working.
FocusMate is one just one example of a company that pairs you with a working buddy.
But there are now YouTube channels forming around “group studying” and “deep work sessions”, too.
It’s wild, but the research is pretty clear that this can be a powerful (and easy) way to boost productivity.
I’m curious, have you tried virtual coworking?
Let me know your thoughts…
