A few places Chris has spoken at:
Chris Bailey has written hundreds of articles on the subject of productivity, and is the author of two books: Hyperfocus, and The Productivity Project. His books have been published in 13 languages. Chris’s work has garnered coverage in media as diverse as the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, The Sunday Times, the BBC, and New York Magazine.
Speaking Topics
Chris has two keynote topics to help your audience out:
How to Be More Productive in a World of Distraction
Our attention has never been as overwhelmed or in-demand as it is today. We are so busy, yet accomplishing so little, and we’ve grown increasingly uncomfortable with boredom and a lack of stimulation and distraction.
Merging the latest scientific research with practical takeaways for focusing deeper, this talk will transform how you think about and manage your attention on a daily basis.
Modeled after Chris’ latest book, Hyperfocus, this talk reveals how the brain switches between two mental modes: hyperfocus, our deep concentration mode, and scatterfocus, our creative, reflective mode. It explains why a combination of both mental modes is the best path to being our most creative and efficient selves at work.
This talk will leave you with practical, counterintuitive takeaways, including:
- How working fewer hours can increase your productivity;
- How to tame distractions;
- How you can drink caffeine strategically instead of habitually to gain more energy;
- How to work with intention;
- How you can get more done by making your work harder, not easier;
- How you can take advantage of your tired periods to do your best creative work.
A Fresh New Approach to Productivity
Over the last decade, Chris has experimented with every productivity tactic under the sun, separating what works from what doesn’t. Drawing on his research, as well as these peculiar productivity experiments—including living in total isolation, using his smartphone for only an hour a day for three months, and meditating for 35 hours a week—this talk will transform how you and your audience think about productivity.
In addition to revealing why productivity is about mastering not only time, but also your attention and energy, this talk offers several practical, tactical ways to get more done every day, so you and your audience walk away with solid productivity techniques you can use immediately.
Personal productivity advice is just that: personal. For this reason, Chris customizes each productivity talk based on what will be most helpful for your audience, choosing from his arsenal of 25 proven-to-work productivity strategies. Some folks benefit the most from strategies to beat procrastination and prioritize what’s important; others from eliminating distractions or tactics for leading their team to become more productive. Whatever it is you’re looking for, Chris will work with you to find the ideas that resonates the strongest, and help your audience the most.
Workshop for teams
Half-Day Productivity Intensive
Learn to Manage Your Time, Attention, and Energy
The four-hour session has three components, all of which weave powerful personal productivity tactics with helpful exercises on how you can get more done. It also includes the occasional fun anecdote from Chris’s productivity project. This workshop is designed especially for busy teams who have limited time to think about productivity. Read more >
Testimonials
Here are a few testimonials from folks who have invited Chris to come speak in the past!
What Makes Chris Different
- He keeps things practical.
1. He keeps things practical.
A talk about productivity is kind of pointless when it doesn’t lead to real, lasting change afterward. Chris designs his talks and workshops, from the ground up, to be both practical and tactical, so you’ll get tools you can implement straight after.
- He cuts through the B.S.
2. He cuts through the B.S.
There’s a lot of B.S. in the productivity space—advice that sounds good on the surface, but doesn’t work in practice. Chris has filtered through pretty much every productivity tactic under the sun, to separate what works from what doesn’t.
- He brings a fresh perspective.
3. He brings a fresh perspective.
The most helpful productivity advice doesn’t turn you into some mindless robot—it helps you work on what’s important, with intention. Chris’s talks are structured around this new, more human approach to productivity.
- He’s kind of a weirdo
4. He’s kind of a weirdo
On top of digging into the research and interviewing experts, Chris has conducted countless weird experiments on himself, where he used himself as a guinea pig to become as productive as possible.
Books
Hyperfocus
Available in bookstores everywhere
Our attention is the most valuable resource we have to get stuff done, become more creative, and live a meaningful life. The most recent neuroscientific research on attention reveals that our brain has two powerful modes that can be unlocked when we use our attention well: a focused mode (hyperfocus), which is the foundation for being highly productive, and a creative mode (scatterfocus), which enables us to connect ideas in novel ways. Hyperfocus helps you unlock both.
The Productivity Project
Available in bookstores everywhere
This book shares the 25 most powerful productivity tactics out there—boiled down from the hundreds Chris has experimented with over the last decade—and weaves these together with stories from his (admittedly pretty weird) productivity experiments, as well as interviews with the most renowned productivity experts from around the world.