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

[Max Binder]

The future tasks matter, but so do the current tasks, and yet in order to
execute the next task, a sacrifice is made to current productivity.

On Fri, Sep 4, 2015 at 1:25 PM, Max Binder <mbinder at wikimedia.org> wrote:

> 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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>>
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>
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