[teampractices] [Discussion] Term for always prepping for the next thing

[Max Binder]

Clarification:

When I get into "busy mode" I always focus and give priority to the future
> task. It's about getting through the whole day as opposed to focusing on
> the task at hand. So not exactly context switching, and not exactly tunnel
> vision--something in between both.
>
> It's the feeling of constantly saying "I have five minutes to do this and
> as soon is this is over, I'll have seven minutes to do this next thing, and
> I can begin prepping for that by doing x instead of y."
>
> I'm blind to what's going on because I have to focus on what is going to
> happen.
>
> It stresses me out instead of making me feel like I'm accomplishing
> anything.
>

I paraphrased it as "you focus less on the current task because the next
task is always distracting you."

I looked up "short termism" and I think it is kind of like the opposite of
that. Where "short termism" is essentially sacrificing long term for short
term gain (tech debt), this is sacrificing short term "presentness" by
context-switching on future tasks (not current ones).

Relatedly, speedy meeetings FTW.

"The thick of thin things" is also related, focusing on prioritizing, but
I'm not sure it's quite what this is.



On Fri, Sep 4, 2015 at 9:33 AM, Kevin Smith <ksmith at wikimedia.org> wrote:

> It doesn't sound the same as Endless Deathmarch, but I don't feel like I
> really understand the question yet. Can you elaborate on "always prepping
> for the next thing" aka "future blindness"?
>
>
>
> Kevin Smith
> Agile Coach, Wikimedia Foundation
>
>
> On Thu, Sep 3, 2015 at 4:43 PM, Max Binder <mbinder at wikimedia.org> wrote:
>
>> A question came to me from a friend, and I thought I'd pose it here for
>> discussion:
>>
>> Question for a scrum master: I know you call "multi-tasking" the far more
>>> accurate "context-switching," but do you have a real term for what I can
>>> only call "future blindness"? It isn't exactly tunnel vision that I've been
>>> having because I do think broadly (just not of the present) and my focus
>>> shifts all the time. But this always prepping for the next thing is driving
>>> me into ground. I need to call it something so that I can identify it,
>>> label it, and master it.
>>>
>>
>> Anyone know of any existing term to research? Kevin's kanban "Endless
>> Deathmarch" maybe?
>>
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