Getting work done in distracted world....
Why do you people buy noise cancelling headphones to use it in office? Simple answer will be to get work done. It is a polite way of saying do not disturb. You are hanging a virtual DO NOT DISTURB sign for all people in office who want to disturb you. It is like marking territory by hunting animals. Moment you put on a headset you have an invisible shield protecting you from all the distraction.
How did we end up in this mess? Agile was supposed to be savior of software development.
"Individuals and interactions over processes and tools"
I think we are overdoing the interactions part of this. When manifesto stated interactions in was in a context. That context was for the scope of the product being developed. Probably at that time it was right because people were assigned cubicles. New generation of software programmers may not be able to visualize this. These people had work space which had good isolation from others. There was no instant messaging. If you wanted to discuss something you need to set up a meeting.
Imaging the work environment now. You are in a open office. You have your email client open. You have a instant messaging tool open. You have your personal phone handy with many social apps. With all these it is becoming impossible to do a quality work of solving complex problem.
Solving a complex problem is similar to juggling. If problem has two aspects then you are juggling two balls. Any typical software problem will have 5 or 6. Now imagine juggling 6 balls without focus. You are going to drop few of those for sure. Many days I hear people say - I am working from home to solve that problem. Because it gives clear focus to solve a complex problem.
I do not have a generic solution for this at this time. Many teams develop rules of engagement. Some develop working patterns where they get some dedicated time and be available for discussion after that. Some teams squat in meeting rooms. Many buy expensive headsets and play music. I also use headphones with instrumental music (less distracting).
Wondering what else can help me do better work. Do write your kool-aid in comments.
Note: I have not used the headphone shown in the video. This video is added as indicative environment in office. And this blog is written in a distracted environment without headset. Will do an edit after few days without distraction.
Good Article VK. Defining a working pattern is a good idea IMO. In my experience, one cannot solve the complex problem alone. She needs to collaborate with team and invite others to collaborate with her. Creating a boundary for self has a possibility of sending a wrong signal to others in the team that I am not approachable. My 2c.
ReplyDeleteYes, side effects of setting boundary. Probably team's success depends on delicate balance between availability and focused time.
DeleteIt is a dilemma that I'm always trying to find a good solution for, as I'm one that can get easily distracted. I do have noise cancelling headphones that I've used (sometimes without music because that can also distract me). I'm also distracted visually by a lot of movement but wearing blinders is not an option! :) If I have to be super-focused on something, I work from home or go into a conference room and turn off email, instant messaging and my phone. But since I'm in a support role as a consultant PM/BA, that's not easy to do because I have to be available for the team and the client.
ReplyDelete