Comments on: Creating flow in your work (Part I) http://timebackmanagement.com/blog/creating_flow_in_your_work_part_i/ Working At The Intersection of Personal Productivity and Lean Manufacturing Wed, 09 May 2012 15:37:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Bruce Baker http://timebackmanagement.com/blog/creating_flow_in_your_work_part_i/comment-page-1/#comment-304 Bruce Baker Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:25:47 +0000 http://wp.timebackmanagement.com/?p=617#comment-304 Good post. Definitely a lot of opportunity to create flow in the administrative work. In the cognitive / creative work that is higher in variability and less predictable, has anybody tried reducing batch sizes and moving smaller chunks more frequently? Bruce Baker http://leanisgood.wordpress.com Good post. Definitely a lot of opportunity to create flow in the administrative work. In the cognitive / creative work that is higher in variability and less predictable, has anybody tried reducing batch sizes and moving smaller chunks more frequently?
Bruce Baker
http://leanisgood.wordpress.com

]]> By: Dan http://timebackmanagement.com/blog/creating_flow_in_your_work_part_i/comment-page-1/#comment-306 Dan Tue, 12 Jan 2010 17:27:52 +0000 http://wp.timebackmanagement.com/?p=617#comment-306 Bruce: changing batch size in the creative/cognitive work realm must be tough, because by definition it's so highly variable. Plus, people work in different ways -- some people can't really dig into a problem unless they have 3 hours to commit to it. I'm reminded of the concept of "flow" here. Andrew -- your changes are precisely the kind of thing I'm talking about. I'm glad to hear that it's working out. Now the next step: is there anything you can do to routinize and standardize the work that's currently variable? Bruce: changing batch size in the creative/cognitive work realm must be tough, because by definition it’s so highly variable. Plus, people work in different ways — some people can’t really dig into a problem unless they have 3 hours to commit to it. I’m reminded of the concept of “flow” here.

Andrew — your changes are precisely the kind of thing I’m talking about. I’m glad to hear that it’s working out. Now the next step: is there anything you can do to routinize and standardize the work that’s currently variable?

]]> By: Andrew Wagner http://timebackmanagement.com/blog/creating_flow_in_your_work_part_i/comment-page-1/#comment-305 Andrew Wagner Mon, 11 Jan 2010 17:26:38 +0000 http://wp.timebackmanagement.com/?p=617#comment-305 Several weeks ago I started using a low priority, simple, repetitive task as an opportunity to establish Standard Work for myself. After neglecting the task for almost 9-months, I've done it, or rather a small portion, every day for the last month or so. Tomorrow, I'll be caught up for the whole of last year and only have to deal with new items, not the backlog. It's been quite liberating, even though it's not a very important task. Around this concept, I build a daily checklist of small things that have to be addressed each day. I do them *first*, then move on to the variable work. I'm catching up on long neglected tasks, ensuring that other routine tasks are dong properly and preventing some of the timing-sucking consequences of falling behind on these tasks. Auditing this standard work and the related problem solving has become my "New Years" Resolution. Several weeks ago I started using a low priority, simple, repetitive task as an opportunity to establish Standard Work for myself. After neglecting the task for almost 9-months, I’ve done it, or rather a small portion, every day for the last month or so. Tomorrow, I’ll be caught up for the whole of last year and only have to deal with new items, not the backlog.
It’s been quite liberating, even though it’s not a very important task.
Around this concept, I build a daily checklist of small things that have to be addressed each day. I do them *first*, then move on to the variable work.
I’m catching up on long neglected tasks, ensuring that other routine tasks are dong properly and preventing some of the timing-sucking consequences of falling behind on these tasks.
Auditing this standard work and the related problem solving has become my “New Years” Resolution.

]]>