In a recent episode of the “Lex Fridman Podcast,” Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon (AMZN) and Blue Origin, revealed his unique approach to productivity. Bezos, who is currently the second-richest person globally, according to Forbes, does not adhere to a strict schedule or time blocks for meetings. Instead, he encourages creative thinking by allowing his mind to wander during meetings, which can often extend beyond their planned duration. “I don’t keep to a strict schedule,” Bezos said, in an episode first released in December. “My meetings often go longer than I plan for them to, because I believe in [mind] wandering.” “A lot of people feel like wandering is inefficient,” he added. Bezos advocates for “messy meetings” where ideas are freely exchanged, and there is no set end time. He believes that this approach, which some may consider inefficient, can actually enhance productivity, creativity, and happiness. “When I sit down a meeting, I don’t know how long the meeting is going to take if we’re trying to solve a problem,” Bezos said. “The reality is we may have to wander for a long time … I think there’s certainly nothing more fun than sitting at a whiteboard with a group of smart people and spit-balling and coming up with new ideas and objections to those ideas, and then solutions to the objections and going back and forth.” He added that “a lot of people feel like wandering is inefficient.” Bezos’s approach is supported by a 2016 study that found allowing the mind to wander can significantly improve creativity. He suggests that taking breaks from a structured routine to let the mind wander can be an effective way to solve problems that seem unsolvable.
Jeff Bezos’ Unconventional Productivity Approach: Mind Wandering in Meetings
