Maximize your Output

(sans “productivity shame”)

Ben Limmer
@blimmer

:neutral_face:

…another talk on “productivity”?

This talk isn’t about

  • Working more hours :clock6:
  • Becoming a Pomodoro master :tomato:
  • Being heads down 100% of the time :headphones:
  • Productivity shame :worried:

“Productivity Shame” is the act of regularly setting unrealistic expectations for what you can accomplish, and then beating yourself up when you fall short.

- Jocelyn K. Glei

This talk is about

  • Tips to stay focused and produce your best work :muscle: :triumph:
  • Understanding and hacking natural ebbs and flows in your productivity :wavy_dash:
  • Tips to stay on track when delivering a story :point_right: :smile: :point_left:

Disclaimer

These are things that work well for me, and I’ve seen them work well for other folks. If they don’t work for you, that’s OK!

Breaks in each section are not only for questions, please also provide your experience and tips!

Talk Outline

  • Staying Focused
  • Optimizing Story Work & Tasks

Talk Outline

  • Staying Focused
    • Time tracking
    • Reducing distractions
    • Ebbs and flows of productivity
  • Optimizing Story Work & Tasks

Talk Outline

  • Staying Focused
  • Optimizing Story Work & Tasks
    • Planning
    • Rabbit Holes
    • Asking for Help

Staying Focused

Staying focused

  • Time tracking :alarm_clock:
  • Reduce distractions :cyclone: :smile: :cyclone:
  • Leverage ebbs and flows :cactus: :left_right_arrow: :ocean:

Time Tracking

punch the clock

Time Tracking

What task am I tracking time against right now?

toggle time tracker

Why Time Tracking?

Data!

:bar_chart:

Time Tracking Data

  • What am I spending time on?

Time Tracking Data

  • What am I spending time on?
  • Am I dedicating time appropriately between categories?

Time Tracking Data

  • What am I spending time on?
  • Am I dedicating time appropriately between categories?
  • Am I stuck and haven’t realized it yet?

my toggl categories

last week's info

my toggl categories

toggl.com

  • The tool I use
  • Free
  • Plenty of alternatives!

Reducing distractions

:cyclone: :smile: :cyclone:

Reducing distractions

  • Change your scenery
  • Mute notifications

Change your scenery

:house_with_garden: :coffee:

Change your scenery

  • Increase creative output

Change your scenery

  • Increase creative output
  • Execute without IRL distractions

Change your scenery

  • Increase creative output
  • Execute without IRL distractions
  • Have more control over your environment

Open Office

heavy breathing

Change your scenery

  • Work from home
  • Work in Owens
  • Head to a coffee shop

Mute notifications

:zap: :iphone: :zap:

Mute notifications

  • Snooze slack notifications

Mute notifications

  • Snooze slack notifications
  • Do Not Disturb mode on your phone

Mute notifications

  • Snooze slack notifications
  • Do Not Disturb mode on your phone
  • Turn off macOS global notifications

macOS global notifications disable with option click

macOS global notifications disabled

Mute notifications

  • Snooze slack notifications
  • Do Not Disturb mode on your phone
  • Turn off macOS global notifications
  • Let folks know / build in time to “catch up”

Leveraging Ebbs and Flows

:cactus: :left_right_arrow: :ocean:

Leveraging Ebbs and Flows

  • We are not machines :robot:

Leveraging Ebbs and Flows

  • We are not machines :robot:
  • What supports your mood and productivity? :runner: :baby: :video_game:

Leveraging Ebbs and Flows

  • We are not machines :robot:
  • What supports your mood and productivity? :runner: :baby: :video_game:
  • When are you most productive? :sun_with_face: :new_moon_with_face:

productivity heatmap

source

Leveraging Ebbs and Flows

  • Be aware of your natural productivity rhythm and harness it

Leveraging Ebbs and Flows

  • Be aware of your natural productivity rhythm and harness it
  • Take quick breaks, even when you’re feeling productive

Leveraging Ebbs and Flows

  • Be aware of your natural productivity rhythm and harness it
  • Take quick breaks, even when you’re feeling productive
  • Write a note before your break to get back into it quickly

sticky note reminder

Discussion time!

  • Time tracking :alarm_clock:
  • Reducing distractions :cyclone: :smile: :cyclone:
  • Leveraging ebbs and flows :cactus: :left_right_arrow: :ocean:

Halfway there!

  • Staying Focused
    • Time tracking
    • Reducing distractions
    • Ebbs and flows of productivity
  • Optimizing Story Work & Tasks
    • Planning
    • Rabbit Holes
    • Asking for Help

Optimizing Story Work & Tasks

  • Planning :pencil:
  • Rabbit Holes :rabbit: :hole:
  • Asking For Help :raising_hand: :question: :information_desk_person:

Planning

Think of two stories:

  • one that you executed against quickly
  • one that took much longer than expected

What were some characteristics of the stories that took longer?

Planning + Acceptance Criteria

Takes a good amount of time but pays dividends during execution.

Planning + Acceptance Criteria

  • What, specifically, is in-scope?
  • What’s out of scope?
  • Point or estimate effort
  • Leverage experience on the team

Planning

Planning takes too much time. I should be writing code.

- Everyone

Planning as a % of your time

Scenario:

  • 1 hour planning once per sprint
  • 20 hours per week coding * 2 week sprints
  • = 2% of your coding time

Planning as a % of your time

Scenario:

  • 2.5 hour planning once per sprint
  • 20 hours per week coding * 2 week sprints
  • = 6% of your coding time

Planning as a % of your time

  • Take the time to get acceptance criteria locked in
  • Alignment as a team

Planning + Reading Code

  • Plan the approach before writing any code
  • Much easier to parallelize options in your brain vs. in code

Planning + Reading Code

  • Plan the approach before writing any code
  • Much easier to parallelize options in your brain vs. in code
  • Take notes!

Planning + Reading Code

  • Plan the approach before writing any code
  • Much easier to parallelize options in your brain vs. in code
  • Take notes!
  • Start writing when you have a plan

Rabbit Holes

:rabbit: :hole:

Rabbit Holes

victimized

Rabbit Holes

  • Questions to ask yourself
  • Awareness of time spent

Rabbit Hole Questions

On this current train of thought what:

  • am I learning?
  • problem am I solving?
  • am I optimizing?

Rabbit Hole Question 1

On this train of thought what am I learning?

Rabbit Hole Question 1

On this train of thought what am I learning?

  • Wat …
    • how did I get to this blog post / wiki page?

Rabbit Hole Question 1

On this train of thought what am I learning?

  • Wat …
    • how did I get to this blog post / wiki page?
  • Something needed to deliver the story …
    • have I learned enough to deliver the story?
    • is there more to learn later?

Rabbit Hole Question 2

On this train of thought what problem am I solving?

Rabbit Hole Question 2

On this train of thought what problem am I solving?

  • Is it in the acceptance criteria?
  • Do I need to solve it now?

Rabbit Hole Question 3

On this train of thought what am I optimizing?

Rabbit Hole Question 3

On this train of thought what am I optimizing?

  • Is it a valuable optimization?
  • Is it too early to worry about this?
  • What’s simplest?

Rabbit Hole Questions

On this current train of thought what:

  • am I learning?
  • problem am I solving?
  • am I optimizing?

Rabbit Holes + Time Tracking

Wait, I’ve spent how many hours on this so far!?

- Me, in a rabbit hole

Rabbit Holes + Time Tracking

  • Data from time tracker invaluable

Rabbit Holes + Time Tracking

  • Data from time tracker invaluable
  • Compare to team estimation - are you way off? why?

Rabbit Holes + Time Tracking

  • Data from time tracker invaluable
  • Compare to team estimation - are you way off? why?
  • Work to reduce your MTTD that you’re in a rabbit hole

Asking for Help

:raising_hand: :question: :information_desk_person:

Asking a Contextual Question

  • Ask your question, also provide context
    • What do you already understand?
    • What have you tried?

Asking a Contextual Question

  • Ask your question, also provide context
    • What do you already understand?
    • What have you tried?
  • Get stuck for more than 15 minutes, but less than an hour

Discussion time!

  • Planning :pencil:
  • Rabbit Holes :rabbit: :hole:
  • Asking For Help :raising_hand: :question: :information_desk_person:

Productivity shame

  • Set attainable, realistic goals

Productivity shame

  • Set attainable, realistic goals
  • Don’t try all of this at the outset

Productivity shame

  • Set attainable, realistic goals
  • Don’t try all of this at the outset
  • Don’t beat yourself up for not being “productive 100% of the time”

I do everything in this talk 100% of the time!

Spoiler Alert

I do everything in this talk 100% of the time!

Productivity shame

“Like battery acid, productivity shame is a toxic substance that slowly corrodes your ability to take any joy in your work.”

- Jocelyn K. Glei

spark joy

thank you

QR for survey

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/maxoutput