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Information Overload and the Real Cost of Interruptions - DevOpsDays Berlin 2016

Information Overload and the Real Cost of Interruptions - DevOpsDays Berlin 2016

DevOpsDays Berlin 2016 - Day 2 Keynote

Lift your head from the screen for a second. Reflect for a moment on where your attention is. Is it where it’s supposed to be? Where you want it to be? Probably not. Where is it instead?
Ask yourself why. Why did I start checking twitter, facebook, slack, hipchat anyway? Why did I just pick up my phone? I’m sure I felt a vibration...hmmm maybe not.
If we begin with the assumption that our time is our most precious asset then we have a problem. Our attention and our time are being fought over all day every day, and no one is immune to this type of “digital disruption”. Productivity is plummeting, anxiety and stress are prevalent. Email Apnea is a thing.
In this talk we’ll look at our relationship to technology in the workplace and what this impact has on culture, job satisfaction, productivity and mental health.
We’ll also discuss what we can do as individuals and teams to get better and to help each other.

Hannah Foxwell

November 17, 2016
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Transcript

  1. @HannahFoxwell #DevOpsDays IT TAKES AN AVERAGE OF 23 MINUTES FOR

    THE AVERAGE PERSON TO REGAIN FOCUS AFTER BEING INTERRUPTED
  2. @HannahFoxwell #DevOpsDays “DEVELOPERS NEED TO CONCENTRATE. THE MORE THINGS YOU

    CAN KEEP IN YOUR HEAD AT ONCE, THE FASTER YOU CAN CODE BY ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE” - JOEL SPOLSKY CEO STACK OVERFLOW
  3. @HannahFoxwell #DevOpsDays AS A PROGRAMMER YOU ARE LIKELY TO GET

    JUST ONE UNINTERRUPTED TWO HOUR SESSION A DAY
  4. @HannahFoxwell #DevOpsDays THE MORE EXTERNAL INTERRUPTIONS A PERSON IS EXPOSED

    TO IN AN HOUR, THE MORE LIKELY THEY ARE TO SELF INTERRUPT DURING THE FOLLOWING HOUR
  5. @HannahFoxwell #DevOpsDays EMAIL APNEA / APPLICATION APNEA DEFINITION: SHALLOW BREATHING

    OR BREATH HOLDING WHILE DOING EMAIL, OR WHILE WORKING OR PLAYING IN FRONT OF A SCREEN • 80% OF US DO THIS • IT INCREASES OUR STRESS LEVELS • AFFECTS OUR EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING • IMPACTING OUR ABILITY TO WORK EFFECTIVELY
  6. @HannahFoxwell #DevOpsDays HOW DEVICES DISRUPT OUR SLEEP • ONE THIRD

    OF UK ADULTS CHECK THEIR MOBILE PHONE DURING THE NIGHT • 10% CHECK THEIR PHONE AS SOON AS THEY WAKE UP • 52% CHECK THEIR PHONE WITHIN 15 MINUTES OF WAKING • READING FROM A DEVICE IMMEDIATELY BEFORE BED IMPACTS THE PRODUCTION OF MELATONIN • YOU NEED SLEEP! LACK OF SLEEP IS LINKED TO OBESITY, DIABETES, CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE…
  7. @HannahFoxwell #DevOpsDays HOW ARE YOU? • FOMO • ANXIETY •

    STRESS • IMPOSTER SYNDROME • LOSS OF CONTROL • BURN OUT
  8. @HannahFoxwell #DevOpsDays “IF THE HUMAN BRAIN WERE SO SIMPLE THAT

    WE COULD UNDERSTAND IT, WE WOULD BE SO SIMPLE THAT WE COULDN’T” - EMERSON M. PUGH
  9. @HannahFoxwell #DevOpsDays THE ATTENTIONAL SYSTEM • THE ATTENTIONAL FILTER •

    THE CENTRAL EXECUTIVE MODE • THE MIND WANDERING MODE • THE ATTENTIONAL SWITCH http://cliparts.co/human-brain
  10. @HannahFoxwell #DevOpsDays THE ATTENTIONAL FILTER: TAKES INPUT FROM ALL YOUR

    SENSES AND DECIDES WHAT INFORMATION NEEDS TO BE ESCALATED TO YOUR CONSCIOUS MIND.
  11. @HannahFoxwell #DevOpsDays THE ATTENTIONAL SYSTEM • THE ATTENTIONAL FILTER •

    THE CENTRAL EXECUTIVE MODE • THE MIND WANDERING MODE • THE ATTENTIONAL SWITCH NOW IMAGINE WHAT HAPPENS IN THIS SYSTEM WHEN WE ARE INTERRUPTED… http://cliparts.co/human-brain
  12. @HannahFoxwell #DevOpsDays ALPACAS ARE HERD ANIMALS AND CAN DIE IF

    KEPT IN ISOLATION https://www.flickr.com/photos/kessiye
  13. @HannahFoxwell #DevOpsDays HAVING RECEIVED A NEW EMAIL THERE IS A

    40% CHANCE YOU’LL OPEN THAT EMAIL WITHIN 3 SECONDS
  14. @HannahFoxwell #DevOpsDays COMPLETION BIAS: YOUR BRAIN WILL REWARD YOU FOR

    COMPLETING A TASK, REGARDLESS OF ITS IMPORTANCE http://cliparts.co/human-brain ADDICT
  15. @HannahFoxwell #DevOpsDays MAKE BETTER CHOICES • MANAGE YOUR NOTIFICATIONS •

    DO A BRAIN DUMP • SORT TASKS AND PLAN TO COMPLETE SIMILAR TASKS AT THE SAME TIME (E.G. EMAIL) • DON’T MULTI-TASK • HAVE A ROUTINE THAT WORKS FOR YOU • DECIDE WHAT NOT TO DO
  16. @HannahFoxwell #DevOpsDays REFUEL YOUR MIND • NAP • TAKE REGULAR

    BREAKS • DON’T SKIP MEALS • CHEW GUM • DAY DREAM • HAVE A HOBBY
  17. @HannahFoxwell #DevOpsDays MEDITATE • PRACTICING FOCUSED ATTENTION MAKES YOU MORE

    AWARE OF WHEN OUR ATTENTION DRIFTS • THIS IMPROVES YOUR FOCUS WHEN YOU’RE NOT MEDITATING TOO • IT WILL CHANGE YOU BRAIN. THE AREAS OF THE BRAIN LINKED TO ATTENTION AND SENSORY PROCESSING ARE THICKER IN PEOPLE WHO MEDITATE
  18. @HannahFoxwell #DevOpsDays HELP EACH OTHER • TALK ABOUT IT •

    INTRODUCE INTERRUPTION FREE HOURS • FLEXIBLE WORKING • THINK AGAIN ABOUT OPEN PLAN OFFICES • BE INTENTIONAL WITH YOUR COMMUNICATION