Productivity for surgeons

Surgeons only operate electively about 20% of the time. How we manage the other 80% can impact our wellbeing, job satisfaction, and time for life outside work. The concept of productivity refers to optimising units out per unit in. How can you optimise yours?

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Lilli Cooper’s no fluff newsletter.

Helping surgeons perform, and feel, better.

Lilli Cooper’s no fluff newsletter.

Helping surgeons perform, and feel, better.

Lilli Cooper’s no fluff newsletter.

Helping surgeons perform, and feel, better.

Productivity for surgeons

Surgeons only operate electively about 20% of the time.

How we manage the other 80% can impact our wellbeing, job satisfaction, and time for life outside work.

The concept of productivity refers to optimising units out per unit in. How can you optimise yours?

Productivity for surgeons

Surgeons only operate electively about 20% of the time.

How we manage the other 80% can impact our wellbeing, job satisfaction, and time for life outside work.

The concept of productivity refers to optimising units out per unit in. How can you optimise yours?

Productivity for surgeons

Surgeons only operate electively about 20% of the time.

How we manage the other 80% can impact our wellbeing, job satisfaction, and time for life outside work.

The concept of productivity refers to optimising units out per unit in. How can you optimise yours?

Key insights:

Optimising productivity describes optimising desired output per unit input (e.g. time or attention).

To do this, it can be useful to consider what we do, when we do it and how we do it.

Humans prioritise urgent over important tasks. We need to identify and consciously prioritise the important ones, and learn to say no to, or delegate, the rest.

Our time is not equal, and our best quality time should be reserved for the most important or difficult tasks.

Enhancing the likelihood of entering flow, can enhance our productivity by up to 500%.

Reducing distractions is a powerful way to enhance the ability to focus, and potentially access flow.

References:

  • Fu K et al. How much time do surgeons spend operating? The Surgeon 2024;22(1):1-5

  • ‘Productivity’. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

  • Covey SR. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Simon & Schuster; 2004

  • Zhu M et al. The mere urgency effect. J Consum Res. 2018;45(3):673-690

  • Visavadia B, Murden F. The surgical mind: harnessing flow state in complex procedures. Bull RCS (Engl.) 2025;107(1)

  • Cranston S, Keller S. Increasing the ‘meaning quotient’ of work. McKinsey Quarterly 2013

Key insights:

Optimising productivity describes optimising desired output per unit input (e.g. time or attention).

To do this, it can be useful to consider what we do, when we do it and how we do it.

Humans prioritise urgent over important tasks. We need to identify and consciously prioritise the important ones, and learn to say no to, or delegate, the rest.

Our time is not equal, and our best quality time should be reserved for the most important or difficult tasks.

Enhancing the likelihood of entering flow, can enhance our productivity by up to 500%.

Reducing distractions is a powerful way to enhance the ability to focus, and potentially access flow.

References:

  • Fu K et al. How much time do surgeons spend operating? The Surgeon 2024;22(1):1-5

  • ‘Productivity’. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

  • Covey SR. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Simon & Schuster; 2004

  • Zhu M et al. The mere urgency effect. J Consum Res. 2018;45(3):673-690

  • Visavadia B, Murden F. The surgical mind: harnessing flow state in complex procedures. Bull RCS (Engl.) 2025;107(1)

  • Cranston S, Keller S. Increasing the ‘meaning quotient’ of work. McKinsey Quarterly 2013

Key insights:

Optimising productivity describes optimising desired output per unit input (e.g. time or attention).

To do this, it can be useful to consider what we do, when we do it and how we do it.

Humans prioritise urgent over important tasks. We need to identify and consciously prioritise the important ones, and learn to say no to, or delegate, the rest.

Our time is not equal, and our best quality time should be reserved for the most important or difficult tasks.

Enhancing the likelihood of entering flow, can enhance our productivity by up to 500%.

Reducing distractions is a powerful way to enhance the ability to focus, and potentially access flow.

References:

  • Fu K et al. How much time do surgeons spend operating? The Surgeon 2024;22(1):1-5

  • ‘Productivity’. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

  • Covey SR. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Simon & Schuster; 2004

  • Zhu M et al. The mere urgency effect. J Consum Res. 2018;45(3):673-690

  • Visavadia B, Murden F. The surgical mind: harnessing flow state in complex procedures. Bull RCS (Engl.) 2025;107(1)

  • Cranston S, Keller S. Increasing the ‘meaning quotient’ of work. McKinsey Quarterly 2013

More about this here:

Read the article I’ve written on this topic for the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

Read the article

More about this here:

Read the article I’ve written on this topic for the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

Read the article

More about this here:

Read the article I’ve written on this topic for the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

Read the article

Listen on the move

Too busy to read, or consuming on your commute?

Listen, here!

Listen on the move

Too busy to read, or consuming on your commute?

Listen, here!

Listen on the move

Too busy to read, or consuming on your commute?

Listen, here!

Good Thinking

The Pareto Principle (or 80/20 rule) is attributed to Vilfredo Pareto, an Italian economist, who observed in 1896 that a minority of causes produces a majority of effects.

If 80% of outcomes come from 20% of actions, what is the 20% that’s ‘good enough’?

Good Thinking

The Pareto Principle (or 80/20 rule) is attributed to Vilfredo Pareto, an Italian economist, who observed in 1896 that a minority of causes produces a majority of effects.

If 80% of outcomes come from 20% of actions, what is the 20% that’s ‘good enough’?

Good Thinking

The Pareto Principle (or 80/20 rule) is attributed to Vilfredo Pareto, an Italian economist, who observed in 1896 that a minority of causes produces a majority of effects.

If 80% of outcomes come from 20% of actions, what is the 20% that’s ‘good enough’?

Did you knowse...

That procrastination can be associated with perfectionism?

Did you
knowse...

That procrastination can be associated with perfectionism?

Did you knowse...

That procrastination can be associated with perfectionism?

Featured resources

Below are a few (affiliation-free) resources that might help you optimise your productivity.

Outsource your overwhelm:

ChatGPT (and other AI tools) can simplify feedback and summarise complex documents.

Explore ChatGPT

Time blocking:

Cal Newport’s time blocking helps you focus by assigning tasks to specific periods of time.

Design your day

Pomodoro Technique App:

Pomodoro uses timed sprints and breaks to boost focus and beat procrastination.

Focus in sprints

Featured resources

Below are a few (affiliation-free) resources that might help you optimise your productivity.

Outsource your overwhelm:

ChatGPT (and other AI tools) can simplify feedback and summarise complex documents.

Explore ChatGPT

Time blocking:

Cal Newport’s time blocking helps you focus by assigning tasks to specific periods of time.

Design your day

Pomodoro Technique App:

Pomodoro uses timed sprints and breaks to boost focus and beat procrastination.

Focus in sprints

Featured resources

Below are a few (affiliation-free) resources that might help you optimise your productivity.

Outsource your overwhelm:

ChatGPT (and other AI tools) can simplify feedback and summarise complex documents.

Explore ChatGPT

Time blocking:

Cal Newport’s time blocking helps you focus by assigning tasks to specific periods of time.

Design your day

Pomodoro Technique App:

Pomodoro uses timed sprints and breaks to boost focus and beat procrastination.

Focus in sprints

Low hanging fruit:

Do try this at home

Schedule one 90 minute deep focus session per week at a high quality time for you, pre-define what you’re going to focus on, put your phone on airplane mode, shut the door, and get stuck in!

Low hanging fruit:

Do try this at home

Schedule one 90 minute deep focus session per week at a high quality time for you, pre-define what you’re going to focus on, put your phone on airplane mode, shut the door, and get stuck in!

Low hanging fruit:

Do try this at home

Schedule one 90 minute deep focus session per week at a high quality time for you, pre-define what you’re going to focus on, put your phone on airplane mode, shut the door, and get stuck in!

Fancy a takeaway?

Download a home exercise

Fancy a takeaway?

Download a home exercise

Fancy a takeaway?

Download a home exercise

Got 5 minutes?

In the coffee queue?
Or waiting for the patient?

Just read one page, or listen to 5 minutes. Define levels of what you want to achieve. If your goal is to read a fiction book, bronze might be 1 page, silver might be 20 pages and gold might be 50 pages. Aim for progress not perfection, and always hit your lower limit.

Find out more here

Got 5 minutes?

In the coffee queue?
Or waiting for the patient?

Just read one page, or listen to 5 minutes. Define levels of what you want to achieve. If your goal is to read a fiction book, bronze might be 1 page, silver might be 20 pages and gold might be 50 pages. Aim for progress not perfection, and always hit your lower limit.

Find out more here

Got 5 minutes?

In the coffee queue?
Or waiting for the patient?

Just read one page, or listen to 5 minutes. Define levels of what you want to achieve. If your goal is to read a fiction book, bronze might be 1 page, silver might be 20 pages and gold might be 50 pages. Aim for progress not perfection, and always hit your lower limit.

Find out more here

August 2025

Self-directed Optimising Performance for Surgeons course

Goes live in August and I’m looking for 5 testers at 50% off.

Email me if you’re interested: 5 weeks of self-directed content, plus two 1:1 coaching sessions for £300 £150.

Explore course

August 2025

Self-directed Optimising Performance for Surgeons course

Goes live in August and I’m looking for 5 testers at 50% off.

Email me if you’re interested: 5 weeks of self-directed content, plus two 1:1 coaching sessions for £300 £150.

Explore course

August 2025

Self-directed Optimising Performance for Surgeons course

Goes live in August and I’m looking for 5 testers at 50% off.

Email me if you’re interested: 5 weeks of self-directed content, plus two 1:1 coaching sessions for £300 £150.

Explore course

Book one-to-one coaching here

Book one-to-one coaching here

Book one-to-one coaching here

The next newsletter will be about fear of failure

Are there any subjects you would like to see covered?

The next newsletter will be about fear of failure

Are there any subjects you would like to see covered?

The next newsletter will be about fear of failure

Are there any subjects you would like to see covered?

Who is Lilli?

A surgeon by background and also a professional coach.

This newsletter aims to share relevant, concise tips to help surgeons perform, and feel, better.

Thanks for being here — feel free to message with thoughts, suggestions, or just to say hi.

Who is Lilli?

A surgeon by background and also a professional coach.

This newsletter aims to share relevant, concise tips to help surgeons perform, and feel, better.

Thanks for being here — feel free to message with thoughts, suggestions, or just to say hi.

Who is Lilli?

A surgeon by background and also a professional coach.

This newsletter aims to share relevant, concise tips to help surgeons perform, and feel, better.

Thanks for being here — feel free to message with thoughts, suggestions, or just to say hi.

Disclaimer: This newsletter is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice or professional services. The information shared should not be used for diagnosing or treating any health conditions. For personalised medical advice, please consult with a licensed healthcare professional.

Disclaimer: This newsletter is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice or professional services. The information shared should not be used for diagnosing or treating any health conditions. For personalised medical advice, please consult with a licensed healthcare professional.

Disclaimer: This newsletter is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice or professional services. The information shared should not be used for diagnosing or treating any health conditions. For personalised medical advice, please consult with a licensed healthcare professional.


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A monthly letter sharing insights, reflections, and resources for clinicians and high stakes professionals who want to perform or feel better, or both!

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Sign up for Lilli's Newsletter

A monthly letter sharing insights, reflections, and resources for clinicians and high stakes professionals who want to perform or feel better, or both!

Thoughtful content, no spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Sign up for Lilli's Newsletter

A monthly letter sharing insights, reflections, and resources for clinicians and high stakes professionals who want to perform or feel better, or both!

Thoughtful content, no spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Supporting healthcare professionals to thrive through evidence-based resources, coaching, and community.

lilli@lillicooper.co.uk

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All Rights Reserved