A manager recently posted the following. I think this sounds like good advice. Although I always think with us breaking work down into 2 week “sprints”, then the tasks just expand to fill the time allocated. So I think you need to process change or a collective mindset change across the team for this to actually work…
“Some thoughts on getting more for less…Individuals in all teams should analyse what they currently do in their role on a daily basis (i.e. where the time is spent).
Then see what that could look like moving through transition (modernisation) and what next year could look like.
Right across the business, all individuals should take a moment to analyse where they spend their time each day (not high level timesheets, actual analysis). If we are ever going to get more productive output from already lean (stretched) teams then we need to work out where to optimise time and get the most quality output out of each day.
Examples of questions that individuals should ask themselves each day:
1. Am I managing my time properly? 10 minutes planning the start of your day can save hours. Write down what you would like to accomplish during the day. If you plan ahead and write it down, you can enjoy any breaks without thinking about work. Heads full of tasks that are not written down creates brain chaos meaning we break away from smart thinking.
2. Am I spending too much time playing around with ideas before I decide what to do? By the time I decide what to do there’s no time left. Stop procrastinating. Putting things off can affect your productivity.
3. Do I need to be in these long meetings? What am I contributing? What else could I be doing? Meetings are crazy expensive. I have been in meetings of 20 people where 3 people talk/contribute. Could I skip a meeting and watch the recording later?
4. Can this repetitive task I’m doing be automated? Should I be doing it or someone else more suited? Am I using technology to speed up my job? If I am a developer, do I spend too much time manual testing when it could be automated? Just because it’s always been done this way doesn’t mean it’s the right way.
5. Am I working in ‘smart mode’? Is there an easier way to accomplish what I’m doing? Am I over-elaborating? Finish unimportant tasks within 10 minutes.
6. If I have 5 things to complete concurrently, try allocating time to each task and set a timer. This speeds up work. Divide your day into time increments. Then, assign specific tasks during each portion of your day.
7. If you need to concentrate hard on certain tasks, then minimise distractions. Block time away from people.
8. Prioritise your tasks. Starting off with your most difficult or important tasks first can help you feel more accomplished.
9. Group similar tasks. When you focus on related assignments, you spend less mental energy context-switching between different tasks.
10. Finally, set aside personal time to disconnect from work. This can increase your productivity. A stressed and tired brain cannot work efficiently.”
Stranger Coding Tings 