Pretty accurate. Some people just don’t understand that performing at a high level requires some rest periods in between the productivity. Or maybe we really are just lazy – I can’t say for sure.
No no, you’re right. It’s not about laziness, it’s about required periods of rest between work. My guess is that a study would show that people who work desk jobs don’t have a solid “average-level” of work throughout the day. Instead, I bet it would show work being completed in fits and starts.
Google the terms:
“flow state” / “flow state recovery time interruptions”
The rule-of-thumb is 20 minutes to regain flow. YMMV.
The classic book “PeopleWare” (isbn:0932633439) advocated tracking your “U-hours” during a week – the number of uninterrupted hours in a 40hr work week and trying to optimize that number. It’s always lower than you think.
3 Responses to Geek Productivity
Jeremiah Stanghini
April 29th, 2013 at 12:17 pm
No no, you’re right. It’s not about laziness, it’s about required periods of rest between work. My guess is that a study would show that people who work desk jobs don’t have a solid “average-level” of work throughout the day. Instead, I bet it would show work being completed in fits and starts.
Ralph M. Prescott
April 29th, 2013 at 1:12 pm
This is a fairly well known issue.
Google the terms:
“flow state” / “flow state recovery time interruptions”
The rule-of-thumb is 20 minutes to regain flow. YMMV.
The classic book “PeopleWare” (isbn:0932633439) advocated tracking your “U-hours” during a week – the number of uninterrupted hours in a 40hr work week and trying to optimize that number. It’s always lower than you think.
Jenn
May 26th, 2013 at 9:37 am
My brain usually wake up around 4 p.m. and then I could go from then until 11 p.m. But I have to work the standard 8-5. It’s torture.