2 ms·

>I’m more productive, focused, and able to check in with someone or go grab them and show them an issue I’m having. I think there's an important distinction he

by bumby 4y ago

>I’m more productive, focused, and able to check in with someone or go grab them and show them an issue I’m having. I think there's an important distinction here. It may be more productive for you but not necessarily for the team. You grabbing another employee may increase your productivity but subvert theirs. Anecdotally, my personal productivity goes way up when I work remote because I don't have all the "drive-by" questions that erode my focused work time. Whether or not that makes the team more or less productive may be a factor team dynamics and contributions.

mgfist 4y ago
At the same time, being able to maintain productivity while handling questions is a skill in of its own. I work on a team building/maintaining internal tools/infra and a large part of my job is interfacing with other teams and maintaining productivity on my own work at the same time is a big part of my responsibility. So it cuts both ways.
bmitc 4y ago
I don't think that's a distinction, and it definitely isn't one way because the you here will also be interrupting the team. All this gets into team dynamics, which can't possibly be whittled down to such small interactions. Then there's this somewhat weird obsession with people supposedly being unable to perform their job without 8 hours of uninterrupted solo time. The work day isn't supposed to just be each person working solo trying to accomplish as much as possible. Interacting with the team is being productive. Extremes in either direction are likely not productive.
- bumby 4y ago
  I agree that team interaction can be productive. (I might even be a bit cynical in saying that most team interaction is not, but that might be a digression). I think the distinction is in how the work culture manages those interactions. My previous job wanted open-door policies; what that turned into was a poorly managed ad-hoc set of interactions. Open door interaction tended to foster unproductive venting and it can become like corralling cats to refocus that energy into solving problems. That may be fine for a supervisor; it's probably not the best use of time for front line production person. I think I may disagree about the "somewhat weird obsession" with uninterrupted work. (I'm assuming your '8 hours' was hyperbole). The research seems pretty clear that interruptions are more detrimental to highly focused work. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect certain blocks of uninterrupted time if the type of work requires it, but that shouldn't be conflated to someone expected to simply be left alone all day.

by bumby 4y ago

mgfist 4y ago

At the same time, being able to maintain productivity while handling questions is a skill in of its own. I work on a team building/maintaining internal tools/infra and a large part of my job is interfacing with other teams and maintaining productivity on my own work at the same time is a big part of my responsibility. So it cuts both ways.

bmitc 4y ago

I don't think that's a distinction, and it definitely isn't one way because the you here will also be interrupting the team. All this gets into team dynamics, which can't possibly be whittled down to such small interactions. Then there's this somewhat weird obsession with people supposedly being unable to perform their job without 8 hours of uninterrupted solo time. The work day isn't supposed to just be each person working solo trying to accomplish as much as possible. Interacting with the team is being productive. Extremes in either direction are likely not productive.

bumby 4y ago
I agree that team interaction can be productive. (I might even be a bit cynical in saying that most team interaction is not, but that might be a digression). I think the distinction is in how the work culture manages those interactions. My previous job wanted open-door policies; what that turned into was a poorly managed ad-hoc set of interactions. Open door interaction tended to foster unproductive venting and it can become like corralling cats to refocus that energy into solving problems. That may be fine for a supervisor; it's probably not the best use of time for front line production person. I think I may disagree about the "somewhat weird obsession" with uninterrupted work. (I'm assuming your '8 hours' was hyperbole). The research seems pretty clear that interruptions are more detrimental to highly focused work. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect certain blocks of uninterrupted time if the type of work requires it, but that shouldn't be conflated to someone expected to simply be left alone all day.