I linke the thinking. My thinking is also that in some types of work you really cant be writing/creating 100% of the time. Some time needs to be just "reset-time", that's time that the mind needs to reset going from one task to the next.
Is that counted as "inefficient"? or is thinking being inefficient? talking with a colleague syncing your thinking and/or getting to know each better is that inefficient?
I have issues with some sort of measurements. If i look on my own productivity i can some days create the same amount of things in just 2-3 hours of concentrated work as I do in a week at other times. Is this because I slack off the other time? Or is it that thoughts are aligned and get into the flow? Are only one of the sort of work efficient, and thinking inefficient?
(and then we have the thing about some people being extremely productive, and some that don't create as much but maybe are delivering higher quality (or are a part of the think-tank enabling the highly productive people). Are one of these inefficient? Or are we truing to squeeze different kind of people and tasks into the same square hole of measurement? )
Now, I'm reading The Goal by Goldratt. If I understand correctly: 100% (local) efficiency could be bad for overall performance system. Also Fowler has a article about Slack time.
I'm not saying that we should not try to avoid inefficiencies in developers but maybe we should look at the team or company level (system)
Workers on construction sites are often idle waiting for materials, approvals, or certifications. Toyota had to invent (repurpose) the word "muda" to refer to similar waste in manufacturing systems. What's happening here, as in those and other industries, is wilful blindness to the role of muda and the need for kaizen (continuous improvement). What's actually amazing is that we get so much done in the face of the waste (not only in tech but everywhere).
I’m not sure how any construction project gets to 100 percent efficiency. You will always have discrepancies in the plans, often have unexpected existing conditions and illogical legal and process requirements damaging throughput. 80 percent ain’t bad.
I linke the thinking. My thinking is also that in some types of work you really cant be writing/creating 100% of the time. Some time needs to be just "reset-time", that's time that the mind needs to reset going from one task to the next.
Is that counted as "inefficient"? or is thinking being inefficient? talking with a colleague syncing your thinking and/or getting to know each better is that inefficient?
I have issues with some sort of measurements. If i look on my own productivity i can some days create the same amount of things in just 2-3 hours of concentrated work as I do in a week at other times. Is this because I slack off the other time? Or is it that thoughts are aligned and get into the flow? Are only one of the sort of work efficient, and thinking inefficient?
(and then we have the thing about some people being extremely productive, and some that don't create as much but maybe are delivering higher quality (or are a part of the think-tank enabling the highly productive people). Are one of these inefficient? Or are we truing to squeeze different kind of people and tasks into the same square hole of measurement? )
Now, I'm reading The Goal by Goldratt. If I understand correctly: 100% (local) efficiency could be bad for overall performance system. Also Fowler has a article about Slack time.
I'm not saying that we should not try to avoid inefficiencies in developers but maybe we should look at the team or company level (system)
Workers on construction sites are often idle waiting for materials, approvals, or certifications. Toyota had to invent (repurpose) the word "muda" to refer to similar waste in manufacturing systems. What's happening here, as in those and other industries, is wilful blindness to the role of muda and the need for kaizen (continuous improvement). What's actually amazing is that we get so much done in the face of the waste (not only in tech but everywhere).
Imagine if people would just go for a coffee break instead of thinking they need to become more efficient? My only real metric is happiness.
A related and interesting concept from Noah Smith, "stealth leisure": https://www.noahpinion.blog/p/yes-we-still-have-to-work
I’m not sure how any construction project gets to 100 percent efficiency. You will always have discrepancies in the plans, often have unexpected existing conditions and illogical legal and process requirements damaging throughput. 80 percent ain’t bad.