Why you need a fresh perspective and how to get one

Why learning to recharge is a superpower

How to avoid brain fog and stay mentally fresh

How to love your brain and boost your work

Three ways to kill distraction and reach your goals

What is the Hawthorne Effect?

How to set new goals

So... the Hawthorne effect... I know – sounds like the title of a Dan Brown novel, right? 

The term actually derives from the Hawthorne Western Electric plant in Cicero, Illinois, where the effect was first observed.

...

See, back in the 1920s a study was carried out to determine how changes to lighting would affect the productivity of workers at the plant. 

In the end, the impact turned out to be minimal, but at first it was difficult to tell. The results were obscured by what researchers later recognised to be another far more powerful effect. 

The effect of being *observed...* what came to be known as the *Hawthorne Effect*.

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You see, it turns out there's more than just beauty in the eye of the beholder. There's *productivity* too.

Studies show that the feeling of being watched is a [powerful motivator](https://hbr.org/2020/05/we-work-harder-when-we-know-someones-watching), and not in a creepy way - yes we [work harder,](https://guilfordjournals.com/doi/abs/10.1521/soco.2017.35.5.585) but we also [think more deeply, are more creative](https://guilfordjournals.com/doi/abs/10.1521/soco.2017.35.5.585), and even feel what we are doing is [more *meaningful](https://hbr.org/2020/05/we-work-harder-when-we-know-someones-watching)* when we have an audience.

It's why sports teams find an advantage when playing before a crowd, especially a supportive one. It's why your favourite music artist often performs better live on stage than cooped up in a studio.

Which presents a dilemma... Because we know working without distraction allows us to focus more easily, and yet working in isolation can undermine our ability to consistently work *well*.

So, how do we bring these two together to get the best of *both* worlds?

Well... funny you should ask.

...

FLOWN Flocks. Virtual co-working spaces that allow you to work in the silent but companionable presence of others - free from distraction *and* isolation. Kinda like a library, only way cooler. 

Along with being able to state your goals for the session among a community of fellow workers - a practice proven to boost the likelihood of meeting your aims by 65% - Flocks offer the *perfect* way to find your flow.

So, join a Flock now, connect with like-minded others all over the world, and *get more done, more easily.*

What is the Hawthorne Effect?

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