Do you struggle to code after a meeting? In the morning? Do you struggle to pay attention to a meeting after a deep work?
We know that context switching is costly but we rarely talk about how we can be more interruptable.
Here's a simple interruptible workflow that you can try:
When we are getting interrupted a lot, our natural reaction is to try to reduce the number of meetings.
Unfortunately, we can't entirely eliminate meetings therefore I'm not going to talk about optimising meetings, but rather optimising our workflow.
I first discovered this interruptible workflow from @kctang 12 years ago.
Every day when he's wrapping up his day, he would type something like this to his IDE (see the red curly errors), then go home on time.
He then would come in the next day instantaneously productive!
I was sceptical at first, but this is now my habit for 12 years! This quirky technique works surprisingly well for me.
I practice the technique not only before I wrap up for the day, but also before meetings.
To resume your flow state, you have to pause in the middle.
Here's how and why:
1️⃣ Pause when you're about to be interrupted.
This is easier said than done and probably sounds crazy.
All of the information I need to finish the task is already in my head, why would I stop?!
a) The code I write when I rush is normally crappy.
b) My estimate is always wrong, and it always takes longer to finish my task. Why bother working late writing crappy code?
c) This is also apparently practised by credible authors:
Roald Dahl, an author who's sold 250 million copies worldwide, learnt a trick from Ernest Hemingway:
"When you are going good, stop writing."
This keeps Dahl's writing momentum as he'd never have to deal with those scary blank pages. He knows how to resume work the next day.
There's, however, an undesirable side effect to this technique.
When you pause, your unfinished tasks will linger in your head. Your subconscious will still work on it.
We will now mitigate this in the next step.
(Note: This side effect can be desirable in some cases!)
2️⃣ Flush your working memory.
Write down everything that you have in your working memory to the 'inbox', which you'll 100% look at after the interruption is complete.
This can be your IDE (like @kctang's example above), or in any tool, or even in sticky notes.
The reason we can't switch off, or focus on meetings after deep work, is because of the Zeigarnik Effect; the tendency to occupy our working memory with unfinished tasks.
Writing activity tricks our brain into forgetting the unfinished tasks, circumventing the Zeigarnik Effect.
You have to write all the things related to the task until your head is empty.
Type as quickly as possible.
This doesn't need to be pretty, you can have typos, it doesn't have to have the right grammar, it can be anything so long as you can recall it later.
After the writing, context switching into meetings is easier. You'll feel something that GTD-ers would describe as "Mind like water" i.e. water is shapeless, put it in a bottle, and it becomes the bottle.
When I do practice this technique, I can code in between meetings easier.
Depending on your role, after your meeting is finished, you might want to flush your working memory again before you move to the third step.
For example, I'd sometimes flush all my thoughts and/or feelings into my personal meeting note. Empty your head, again.
3️⃣ Restore your working memory.
This is the easiest part of all. You look at what you have flushed in the previous step, then resume where you left off. You'll no longer have the scary blinking cursor or blank page.
What you have jotted down in step 2️⃣ is now serving as a cue to retrieve your relevant memory.
If forgetting is a process of inhibiting irrelevant memory, what we have written in step 2️⃣ helps circumvent the inhibition process at the right moment via written cues.
This is also where what you have written in step 2️⃣ is important. The more cues you have written the better, it will increase your retrieval memory strength.
Remember, it doesn't need to be precise, grammatically correct, etc. Type it quickly!
Managing an ad-hoc interruption is similar. My wife often interrupts me as I'm working from home.
When this happens, though, you are skipping step 1️⃣ without willpower, so it's a chance to practice!
Next, let others that you need to 'flush your memory' before you can respond.
There you have it.
To resume your flow state, you have to pause in the middle.
I know some engineers hate meetings with passion, so I hope you'll have a better relationship with interruptions!
Do you already practice something similar? What habits have you built to handle situations like this?
Share it with us!