Avleen Vig, Etsy Carolyn Rowland, Independent Consultant

The interruptive nature of Operations: A world of squirrels and shiny objects

http://www.desktopwallpaperhd.net/wallpapers/5/b/space-background-photos-widescreen-wallpaper-53163.jpg

Avleen:

Staff operations engineer

Carolyn:

IT manager

That reminds me...

What is an interruption?

http://funny-pictures-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/MEME-Leisure-Interruption.jpg

Active interruptions from people

http://celebug.com/celebrity-gossip/page/118/

Passive interruptions from people

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jasonahowie/8583949219/

2013: Michigan State University

Interruptions from systems

http://newsaint.deviantart.com/art/shall-we-play-a-game-HDTV-168941674

Interrupting yourselfSwitching tasks constantly

!!Stop being

your own

worst enemy.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tilaneseven/407167294/

Are all interruptions

bad?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/doctorow/8456338189/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hugo90/8233834956/

Simple Tasks vs Complex Tasks

Saving the world20% complete

Commitment

Saving the world80% complete

Commitment

http://www.flickr.com/photos/arthur-caranta/2926332140

The impact of burnout

Don’t let this be you.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mr_t_in_dc/4115860027/

Fallacies

Fallacies: We need to know everything

http://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large-5/steampunk-information-overload-mike-savad.jpg

Fallacies: Calendars help schedule your time

Where does the work happen?

Fallacies: The interruption is

the most important task

http://www.expertcomics.com/enr//wp-content/uploads/2013/03/1slippery-300x200.jpg

Fallacies: Multitasking and productivity

http://www.flickr.com/photos/indyplanets/3926147797/

http://www.onlinecollege.org/Multitasking/

Fallacies: Switching tasks is good

http://xkcd.com/303/

How do we deal with things right now?

(answer: badly)

You work too

much

http://buzz.socialmarketingforprinters.com/blogs/images/109195046.jpg

“Avleen needs to improve his work/life balance.

He needs to focus a bit more on his own health and family,

and communicate to me if his workload is too high.”

!- mcr, 2012

● Organization systems (e.g. Getting Things Done) ● Calendars ● Notebooks ● Post-it notes ● Emails to ourselves ● Todo lists ● Whiteboards ● Reminder apps ● Project management systems ● Our own [already over-taxed] memory

Tool disorganization

● Self-help systems (e.g. GTD) ● Calendars ● Notebooks ● Post-it notes ● Emails to ourselves ● Todo lists ● Whiteboards ● Reminder apps ● Project management systems ● Our own [already over-taxed] memory

Tool disorganization OVERLOAD

http://www.flickr.com/photos/anotherphotograph/3571242832/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/psd/7645555148/

Interruption Science

https://i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/2538256128/hAFB28B2E/

Mentally switch every 3 minutes

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wwarby/3296379139/

(or maybe 25 minutes)http://www.flickr.com/photos/14829735@N00/6928288961

External interruptions lead to self-interruption

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jdsmith1021/5755513005/

Why you can’t focus

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicamullen/5029081381/

So what can we do?Sharpen pencils!

Simplify

Resist destructive

urges

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33816955@N08/4731898939/

Story time!

WIKIPEDIAHOLE!

xkcd #862

http://blog.xkcd.com/2011/02/18/distraction-affliction-correction-extensio/

http://xkcd.com/862/

Prioritize

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisflorence/7542642880/

Managers vs Makers

http://www.flickr.com/photos/j_benson/7023561195/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mkeefe/3123775954/

Manage your tools. Don’t let them manage you.

Take control of tools

http://www.eduleadership.org/wp-content/toolbelt.jpg

Take responsibility

This is about discipline.

Fix your monitoring

http://mem

egenerator.net/instance/41896495

Address alert fatigue

http://comm

ons.wikim

edia.org/wiki/File:C

hronic_fatigue_syndrome.JP

G

Just because you can, doesn’t mean you

should.

Control Interruption

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12023825@N04/2898021822/

Leverage teams

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cosmoflash/3005865241/

Manage emergencies#warroom / standing down stations

http://images.bwbx.io/cms/2012-05-16/etc_emergency21__01__630x420.jpg

Break up large taskshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/84617037@N00/60431147/

Improve workflow

http://www.flickr.com/photos/joshbousel/4676037839/

BeerKan as an Agile implementation

Ask for help!

http://www.smartsheet.com/files/haymaker/Help.Support.Advice.Guidance.Assistance.jpg

What really works for Avleen

● Communicate

● Validate

● Designate

What really works for Avleen

● Communicate

● Validate

● Designate

What really works for Avleen

● Communicate

● Validate

● Designate

http://blog.peopleperhour.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/ReduceStress_at_work.jpg

Watch for signs of stress

A good manager should

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bdenker/33237141

Run interference

Influence culture

http://www.flickr.com/photos/plutor/3169836251/

The making of this talk

Quantify your own interruptions

http://www.flickr.com/photos/magnetbox/3261773180/

Where do I begin?

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XguhVMDDtZ8/TrgFtH8Pi6I/AAAAAAAAAx8/dFOheYXk5JE/

1) Biggest impact 2) Social media diet 3) Involve management

Questions?

@avleen @unpixie

http://xkcd.com/705/