I agree with many of the answers here, but as a developer, manager of developers, and information junkie, I wanted to give another perspective. From your (very short) description, it sounds like doing productive work is a) less fun, and b) more stressful than other things, so he does the other things. In your shoes, I would:
- Connect the developer to the team. Make the developer part of a proper team, and make the team collectively responsible. He may not care about letting you (or himself) down, but he's unlikely to feel the same way about a well-bonded peer group.
- Connect the team to something
I agree with many of the answers here, but as a developer, manager of developers, and information junkie, I wanted to give another perspective. From your (very short) description, it sounds like doing productive work is a) less fun, and b) more stressful than other things, so he does the other things. In your shoes, I would:
- Connect the developer to the team. Make the developer part of a proper team, and make the team collectively responsible. He may not care about letting you (or himself) down, but he's unlikely to feel the same way about a well-bonded peer group.
- Connect the team to something meaningful. Different people find different things meaningful, so this can be tricky. Figure out why what they're doing matters in the world, and make that apparent to them. E.g., if they're making things easier for the order entry clerks, let them see that happen in person.
- Keep the feedback level high. Twitter and Digg have a lot of novelty. To compete, find the sources of novelty in your environment (e.g., user activity, daily revenue, user tests, A/B tests, system reliability) and make 'em obvious. Give the team a lot of feedback on non-technical things, too.
- Keep feedback loops short. Release early and often. Consider practicing Continuous Deployment, where every commit goes live as soon as it passes all the tests. Study the impact new features have on users. All of this makes the work more engaging, more real.
- Tune your environment for comfort and focus. Make it as easy as possible to focus on the right things. That means a nice, quiet work area, sure. But it also means minimized distractions: keep the team physically together, separate them from other teams, move noisy people (e.g., sales) far away, route foot traffic elsewhere. Encourage transparency and collaboration by making sure that people can easily see what others are doing. And keep the workspace rich in fresh, relevant information.
- Insist on quality. Not in a me-big-monkey way, either. A lot of developers lose heart when they're asked to do a lot of crappy work. Care fiercely about the work product and they will as well. That includes creating a good user experience, taking the time to fix bugs, and keeping performance good.
- Involve developers in product decisions. In a lot of shops, developers just make whatever the specs say. That's boring. Engage them in figuring out what the product will be; they'll care a lot more. If possible, take this as far as giving the whole team (developers + product people) particular goals (e.g., increase conversion by 10%) and giving them wide latitude to meet them.
- Set people up to succeed. A lot of software projects are managment-created clusterfucks with absurd schedules. When programmers fail to achieve the impossible, they're treated like the problem. And when the inevitable wave of bugs turns up from the haste they were forced into, they're blamed for that, too. No wonder they'd rather read Digg. Four days out of five should feel like small victories.
- Consider the Extreme Programming practices. These have made a big difference in my level of engagement, especially collective code ownership, pair programming, test-driven development, and planning with user stories.
Software development isn't like a manufacturing job; it's essentially creative work. To do it, you have to love it. And to manage it, you have to figure out how to make sure your team keeps loving it.
The key question is - is he really not getting things done?
You say he knows how to do and build everything, which hints that he has indeed built stuff.
Is he simply working in a way which looks inefficient, but is actually the guy out producing other engineers?
That happens a lot. Some really good technical people have a kind of ADHD-ish tendency to switch focus. It looks like goofing off. It often is.
So you see him browsing reddit, and there's important work to be done. And of course, you think : The work isn't done yet because the guy can't focus.
But if you look deeper, you may rea
The key question is - is he really not getting things done?
You say he knows how to do and build everything, which hints that he has indeed built stuff.
Is he simply working in a way which looks inefficient, but is actually the guy out producing other engineers?
That happens a lot. Some really good technical people have a kind of ADHD-ish tendency to switch focus. It looks like goofing off. It often is.
So you see him browsing reddit, and there's important work to be done. And of course, you think : The work isn't done yet because the guy can't focus.
But if you look deeper, you may realize that nobody else can do this task because this guy is incredibly good when he's "on". He can do in two hours what other engineers fail to accomplish in two weeks.
And you see him browsing reddit and desperately want to tighten that screw.
For people like this (call them Intermittent Superheros), it's important to realize they work in super-productive bursts. Any attempt to interfere with their self-scheduling will convert them to Mere Mortals. The goofing off is actually a preparation for hyper-focus.
It can be unnerving to watch. So it's best not to watch them.
Where do I start?
I’m a huge financial nerd, and have spent an embarrassing amount of time talking to people about their money habits.
Here are the biggest mistakes people are making and how to fix them:
Not having a separate high interest savings account
Having a separate account allows you to see the results of all your hard work and keep your money separate so you're less tempted to spend it.
Plus with rates above 5.00%, the interest you can earn compared to most banks really adds up.
Here is a list of the top savings accounts available today. Deposit $5 before moving on because this is one of th
Where do I start?
I’m a huge financial nerd, and have spent an embarrassing amount of time talking to people about their money habits.
Here are the biggest mistakes people are making and how to fix them:
Not having a separate high interest savings account
Having a separate account allows you to see the results of all your hard work and keep your money separate so you're less tempted to spend it.
Plus with rates above 5.00%, the interest you can earn compared to most banks really adds up.
Here is a list of the top savings accounts available today. Deposit $5 before moving on because this is one of the biggest mistakes and easiest ones to fix.
Overpaying on car insurance
You’ve heard it a million times before, but the average American family still overspends by $417/year on car insurance.
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Consistently being in debt
If you’ve got $10K+ in debt (credit cards…medical bills…anything really) you could use a debt relief program and potentially reduce by over 20%.
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Missing out on free money to invest
It’s no secret that millionaires love investing, but for the rest of us, it can seem out of reach.
Times have changed. There are a number of investing platforms that will give you a bonus to open an account and get started. All you have to do is open the account and invest at least $25, and you could get up to $1000 in bonus.
Pretty sweet deal right? Here is a link to some of the best options.
Having bad credit
A low credit score can come back to bite you in so many ways in the future.
From that next rental application to getting approved for any type of loan or credit card, if you have a bad history with credit, the good news is you can fix it.
Head over to BankRate.com and answer a few questions to see if you qualify. It only takes a few minutes and could save you from a major upset down the line.
How to get started
Hope this helps! Here are the links to get started:
Have a separate savings account
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Finally get out of debt
Start investing with a free bonus
Fix your credit
In my experience it is never productive to attempt to manage engineers (especially talented ones) by tracking their time. It is far more effective to hold him/her to very aggressive targets and goals, and combine that with a high degree of latitude and freedom.
Self-motivation is a key element of being a successful software engineer, especially in a startup environment. Methods such as computer usage policies may work with a secretary but will not be effective when applied to your engineers. It may be that he is not properly incentived or really interested in what you are doing. In any case if
In my experience it is never productive to attempt to manage engineers (especially talented ones) by tracking their time. It is far more effective to hold him/her to very aggressive targets and goals, and combine that with a high degree of latitude and freedom.
Self-motivation is a key element of being a successful software engineer, especially in a startup environment. Methods such as computer usage policies may work with a secretary but will not be effective when applied to your engineers. It may be that he is not properly incentived or really interested in what you are doing. In any case if he continues to miss clearly defined goals you should end the relationship.
That said, when one of my minions works too slowly or gets out of line, I like to set an example by removing one of his fingers.
This reminds me of a Big Dumb Company that turned the lights down in the bathrooms because people were spending too much time in the stalls reading. They were reading in the bathroom because their jobs sucked (and b/c the company attracted people with a slacker mentality).
Turning down the bathroom lights or blocking popular websites is not the answer. Hire the right people and give them a mission that matters. The rest will take care of itself.
This reminds me of a Big Dumb Company that turned the lights down in the bathrooms because people were spending too much time in the stalls reading. They were reading in the bathroom because their jobs sucked (and b/c the company attracted people with a slacker mentality).
Turning down the bathroom lights or blocking popular websites is not the answer. Hire the right people and give them a mission that matters. The rest will take care of itself.
Managing distractions in the workplace can be challenging, especially in a field like engineering where focus is crucial for productivity. Here are some strategies to help your engineer stay on task and minimize distractions:
1. Set Clear Expectations
- Define Goals: Clearly outline what you expect from your engineer in terms of deliverables and timelines.
- Regular Check-Ins: Schedule short, regular meetings to discuss progress and any roadblocks, which can help keep him accountable.
2. Create a Structured Environment
- Designated Work Hours: Encourage a structured schedule where specific times are set
Managing distractions in the workplace can be challenging, especially in a field like engineering where focus is crucial for productivity. Here are some strategies to help your engineer stay on task and minimize distractions:
1. Set Clear Expectations
- Define Goals: Clearly outline what you expect from your engineer in terms of deliverables and timelines.
- Regular Check-Ins: Schedule short, regular meetings to discuss progress and any roadblocks, which can help keep him accountable.
2. Create a Structured Environment
- Designated Work Hours: Encourage a structured schedule where specific times are set aside for focused work, with breaks in between.
- Workspace Optimization: Ensure his workspace is conducive to focus—this might mean a quiet area, comfortable seating, and minimal clutter.
3. Limit Access to Distraction Sources
- Website Blockers: Consider using tools like Cold Turkey or Freedom to block distracting websites during work hours.
- Use Focused Work Sessions: Encourage techniques like the Pomodoro Technique, which involves working for 25 minutes followed by a 5-minute break.
4. Encourage Mindfulness and Focus Techniques
- Mindfulness Training: Introduce mindfulness practices or focus techniques, such as meditation, to help improve concentration.
- Task Management Tools: Use tools like Trello or Asana to break down tasks into smaller, manageable pieces, helping him maintain focus on one thing at a time.
5. Promote Breaks and Downtime
- Scheduled Breaks: Encourage taking regular breaks to recharge, which can help prevent burnout and reduce the temptation to browse during work hours.
- Physical Activity: Encourage short walks or stretching exercises during breaks to help clear the mind.
6. Lead by Example
- Model Good Behavior: Demonstrate focused work habits yourself, as leadership behavior can influence team members.
- Share Success Stories: Share examples of how reducing distractions has positively impacted productivity for others.
7. Discuss and Reflect
- Open Communication: Talk to him about his distractions and ask for his input on what might help him stay focused.
- Feedback Loop: Create a culture where feedback is welcomed, allowing him to express what strategies are or aren’t working.
8. Provide Incentives
- Rewards for Productivity: Consider implementing a reward system for meeting goals, which can motivate him to stay focused.
- Team Challenges: Create friendly competition among team members to encourage productivity.
By implementing these strategies, you can help create an environment that minimizes distractions and maximizes productivity for your engineer. Adjust these suggestions based on his individual preferences and needs for the best results.
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Whenever you have a management problem at a company, you need to take 100% reponsibiliy for it. You hired and you are managing the developer, so the responsibility is yours to fix this. A few suggestions:
- Do the usual "Management 101" stuff: meet with him weekly, give him feedback, discuss concerns, and get feedback from him. Don't ask strangers for help on Quora if you haven't talked to him 1-1.
- Be careful with tone. He is not "your" engineer. Perhaps you don't call him that to his face, but I guarantee that attitude is evident. He is an adult and is reponsible for performing.
- You act like you
Whenever you have a management problem at a company, you need to take 100% reponsibiliy for it. You hired and you are managing the developer, so the responsibility is yours to fix this. A few suggestions:
- Do the usual "Management 101" stuff: meet with him weekly, give him feedback, discuss concerns, and get feedback from him. Don't ask strangers for help on Quora if you haven't talked to him 1-1.
- Be careful with tone. He is not "your" engineer. Perhaps you don't call him that to his face, but I guarantee that attitude is evident. He is an adult and is reponsible for performing.
- You act like you don't trust him, and you probably don't. You are looking over his shoulder and watching his screen...do you think he doesn't notice that?
- You are tolerating a corporate culture where it is OK for someone to "barely get anything done." This impacts the entire team and undermines your leadership.
- You haven't put a framework in place where people understand (on at least a weekly basis) what the goals and objectives and deliverables are (or are OK blowing right past them).
- You have created a culture where a capable person who has shown previous results is unmotivated.
- Or, you have made a bad hire and haven't fixed it.
Don't feel too bad - this is hard stuff, and it take a long time to learn to manage people. The stress and lack of resources at a startup make it even harder.
Time spent getting feedback on how to do your job better is infinitely more valuable than time spent getting feedback on how your employee should be doing his job better. I'd recommend seeking some help then working hard to turn this situation around or else part ways with your employee.
While you can try implementing a lot of good advice found here in the answers, in my experience, this is a character problem. Some people get distracted easily and lose focus really fast, in spite of their overall potential and intelligence. If other engineers are performing and this one isn't, I don't think there is anything you can do to fix this.
Also, be wary of the "create an inspiring environment" kumbaya. Staying focused on the task at hand requires discipline and persistence, and that's a trait an engineer must have regardless of how menial or interesting the task is. You don't expe
While you can try implementing a lot of good advice found here in the answers, in my experience, this is a character problem. Some people get distracted easily and lose focus really fast, in spite of their overall potential and intelligence. If other engineers are performing and this one isn't, I don't think there is anything you can do to fix this.
Also, be wary of the "create an inspiring environment" kumbaya. Staying focused on the task at hand requires discipline and persistence, and that's a trait an engineer must have regardless of how menial or interesting the task is. You don't expect your doctor to go check his Facebook when you don't provide him with enough of an interesting disease; you shouldn't expect any less of your engineers.
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Spend less of your own time reading Quora at work?
Make sure he's the right person for the task. Distractions are an easy way for engineers to deal with their partial or complete inability to wrap their heads around a difficult problem.
Encourage him to share the difficulties and problems of the task, and try alternative ways of coming up with a solution (consult with other engineers, peer programming, test-driven development, stackoverflow, the options are endless).
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A general rule, Set them up for success. Which means
-Write down goals to be measured against.
-Note results against this.
-Have a straight talk about productivity & it's consequences. Give them time (1-3 months) & clear work. You are here. The reasons for being are well mentioned by Jim Plush here.
-Evaluate & take action against this.
In general and this does not apply to this situation from the comment, I would suggest checking if the work is getting done already and your best hire in next 3 months will do the same, the hour to hour is not relevant.
Sometimes this is not an issue that can be solved by management tactics:
A good friend of mine after few years of having those troubles at work decided to visit the psychiatrist; sometime later he was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder. After few years of taking medications he was able to perform as expected.
Honestly, if I were his boss, I would do nothing. I don’t see a problem.
His work is on time and impeccable? Dude, don’t fuck with a good thing. Let me put it to you this way. Right now, you are paying for his results. He can accomplish what is expected of him in 6 hours instead of 8. He’s efficient. Good for him. If you get nitpicky about his time, then he will diligently work 8 hours exactly, but his overall productivity may fall, because now you’re paying for his time, not his results, because you’ve killed his morale and communicated to him that time, not results, is what matters to you.
My
Honestly, if I were his boss, I would do nothing. I don’t see a problem.
His work is on time and impeccable? Dude, don’t fuck with a good thing. Let me put it to you this way. Right now, you are paying for his results. He can accomplish what is expected of him in 6 hours instead of 8. He’s efficient. Good for him. If you get nitpicky about his time, then he will diligently work 8 hours exactly, but his overall productivity may fall, because now you’re paying for his time, not his results, because you’ve killed his morale and communicated to him that time, not results, is what matters to you.
My first good boss had the philosophy that, so long as you got done what needed to be done correctly and on time, he didn’t care what happened between the time he gave you a task and the time you finished. Because of this, he earned intense loyalty from us and we worked harder for him than we would have to a micro-managing nit-picker.
Now, if he’s goofing around reading stuff online and his productivity is lagging, then I agree you have an entirely justified complaint. But if he’s getting everything done, and impeccably so, don’t worry about it.
Furthermore, and this may just be a layman’s perspective, if he’s a software engineer and he’s spending time reading studies, textbooks, and research papers about computer science, I don’t see how that isn’t work related. Sure, it may not be directly related to his task at the moment, but it sounds to me like he’s trying to keep abreast of current research in his field, which should lead to better overall performance indirectly as he is able to implement current best practices or introduce the latest methodologies into his work.
So what should you do? Stop by his desk today and mention that you’ve noticed that he always gets his work done impeccably and on time, and that you appreciate that you can always rely on him for quality work. People like to feel appreciated, and I’m sure he’ll continue his current work habits when you acknowledge that he’s doing well. Keep him in mind for a raise if it’s in the budget.
Original question-A software engineer spends ~2 hours of his time reading and studying up on computer science - reading textbooks, research papers, etc, mostly non work related. He finishes all of his scheduled work in the remaining time impeccably. What should I do?
I had this situation and I found out the hard way that it's better to cut him loose now than try and "manage him". I found that a motivated B developer is heads above an A+ prodigy who goes off on tangents.
Give him an honest assessment and send him on his way.
Here are the most common reasons engineer's productivity tails off
1. The project isn't that interesting to them and they don't feel engaged
2. You've just come off a 1,2,3 or more month long code rage and you're in the regrouping phase
3. You've already decided the job isn't for you and you're in the interviewing, increasing skills phase, or just fire me phase
4. They're at best a 9-5 programmer. Which are fine for enterprise companies that can afford to have middle of the road talent but for startups they're a cancer. It's best to cut the cord early as others have mentioned.
5. They have an
Here are the most common reasons engineer's productivity tails off
1. The project isn't that interesting to them and they don't feel engaged
2. You've just come off a 1,2,3 or more month long code rage and you're in the regrouping phase
3. You've already decided the job isn't for you and you're in the interviewing, increasing skills phase, or just fire me phase
4. They're at best a 9-5 programmer. Which are fine for enterprise companies that can afford to have middle of the road talent but for startups they're a cancer. It's best to cut the cord early as others have mentioned.
5. They have an excellent track record but have hit a rough patch.
As a manager you shouldn't fear cutting smart people loose or being candid with them. No matter how smart someone is if the fit isn't right it's cheaper in the long run to make the decision now. That being said, everyone has ebbs and flows, if they have a history of solid performance then it may be a personal problem you can help them sort out.
I've been in your situation, settings goals and objectives for someone who is already checked out is a waste of your resources. Find out if they're still engaged or not and only then offer them the chance to get back into the mix.
Well, you can always implement that process in your company. For example, every morning ask from your employees an update about technology, and ask them what they shared.
Personally, if your looking for people who are socially active, you should hire ones that are.
Make sure your engineers have challenging goals.
If your engineer has enough time to spend on twitter and other sites but he still delivers code on schedule and with quality than it doesn't matter what he does in between tasks.
Engineers usually have bursts of concentration and they need some time to relax the brain in between tasks.
An engineer will not have 100% concentration from the minute he steps into the office to the minute he leaves.
Give them more work to do.
If he already knows how to do everything and build everything, he should obviously be transitioned to management.
Assign him projects that are much interesting than the above mentioned sites.
You must be the light from which others draw their inspiration.
Fire them. They'll tweet about it and then get on Hacker News to find a job.
1. Keep An Active To-Do List - Create a list comprised of little and easy-to-achieve items, with a few big ones to guide your way.
That way you can check off more items, which will always give you a boost of energy and motivation. This will then allow you to approach the next item with more ease, creating a self-sustaining cycle!
Which means you want to put every little thing on your to-do list so you can have as many little victories as possible throughout the day.
BONUS: This will also make the times you need to remain focused for a lot shorter..
2. Keep Strong Boundaries - Have a minimum and ma
1. Keep An Active To-Do List - Create a list comprised of little and easy-to-achieve items, with a few big ones to guide your way.
That way you can check off more items, which will always give you a boost of energy and motivation. This will then allow you to approach the next item with more ease, creating a self-sustaining cycle!
Which means you want to put every little thing on your to-do list so you can have as many little victories as possible throughout the day.
BONUS: This will also make the times you need to remain focused for a lot shorter..
2. Keep Strong Boundaries - Have a minimum and maximum bar set for everything you wish to get done. This is so that you feel the victory sooner, have an ultimate goal to reach for, instead of just trying to wing it.
When we work we often look at what we wanted to accomplish by this time, realizing that the big goal we set out to do is still a ways away. We see how far we are off and get discouraged.
This then often ends in us procrastinating until the point where we do none of what we intended to do.
When we set a minimum and keep a strong boundary it makes us win, even if it is just a small win. This win carries over quite a lot, however, as it is a win created by something you said you would do.
As you collect wins of this nature you begin to believe in yourself more and end up raising both your self-worth and self-belief, making everything that comes after much easier.
Remember that one of the worst things you can do is to create a sense of distrust for yourself. If you cannot believe in your own words, how will you be able to believe in anything else?
3. Listen To Instrumental Music - Working without any music is mind-numbing and boring. With every little break you get inside your own head because there is nothing else going on.
Putting on some relaxing or motivating tunes can make your work an adventure and keeps you feeling good throughout your work.
4. Change Your Location Frequently - When you get into a routine you lose excitement and motivation. It’s the same old place, doing the same old things in the same old way, day after day after day.
Going out every once in a while can refresh this feeling. Write at the nearest coffee shop, take your project to a different office or spread yourself out in your local library to think some things over.
A new perspective gained from a new location can do wonders for your focus.
5. Stay On Task - Force yourself to stay on task a little longer than you feel comfortable doing. Just 10 or 15 minutes more is enough to get you out of the desire to get distracted.
Whenever you want to take a break, procrastinate on procrastinating and do a little more.
A ton of questions and distracting thoughts can come up at any moment, but instead of going with them just work for another couple of minutes. This will train your focus little by little to avoid giving the distractions any time of day.
Remember that you are always training and shaping your mind. Whatever thoughts you go with are the thoughts that are being shaped to have a bigger part of your life. Be careful which ones you train.
6. Handle Distracting Thoughts With Purpose - When a distracting thought come up, like above, then you should handle it immediately and purposefully.
Let’s say you keep thinking about that new movie that just came out and you really want to watch it.
You keep thinking about when to see it at work and it keeps distracting you. Instead of wasting so much time on it just deal with it now. Set a time aside for later in the day when you will figure out when to see that movie.
“At 6 p.m. tonight I will free up 15 minutes of my time to plan out when the best time would be for me to see that movie.” Write this down on a note so that every time the thought comes up you can reference this note to your mind, showing it that this thought is taken care of!
This makes the distracting thoughts leave your mind as you record them on paper. It handles them instead of letting them take up a residence in your limited focus.
7. Recharge Your Energies - Remember that every energy you use needs to be adequately recharged. Self-Improvement Experts talk about Physical, Mental, Emotional & Purposeful Energies.
Physical Energy needs to be recharged with physical rest, including naps, massages, sleep, and a good diet.
Mental Energy needs to be recharged with a blank mind, including meditation, affirmations, nature, walks, and sleep.
Emotional Energy needs to be recharged with positive emotions, including happiness, comedy, affirmations, smiling, and creative outlets.
Purpose Energy needs to be recharged by addressing your reasons, including why you need to be focused, future goals and dreams, actions of value, charity, gratitude and random acts of kindness.
8. Declutter - Your mind takes in every piece of information. It does not distinguish from what it should take in, only what it should make you consciously aware of.
This means that if you have a cluttered, busy and stressful working space, your mind will wander off more frequently.
This is the same principle that makes us turn down the music when we are looking for the route as we drive. Every input takes up focus, no matter if you are aware of it or not.
Limit the amount of inputs and you increase the amount of focus you have readily available.
9. Smile - Have more fun while you work.
Smile whenever you think of it to release more endorphins in your mind that make you feel good. Your brain will develop associations between working and feeling good whenever you do it, raising your desire to stay focused and work hard!
Psychologists are still discussing what comes first: The emotion or the action. Either way, they know they are closely linked and often beget one another.
Meaning that whenever you smile you will feel happier, just as whenever you feel happier you will smile.
Use this and copy people of focus.
- Work early in morning after completing the required sleep.
- Practise as much as you can.
- Stay happy and stress-free in life, higher the burden, lower the productivity.
- Plan well, make a clear outline of most tasks.
- Be passionate about do, remember the reason, appreciate the reason, feel good about the task or goal.
- Deeper the roots bigger the tree, research, learn, ask questions, clear doubts, learn well, acquire deep knowledge.
- Avoid distractions, especially casual friends, and bad internet.
- Stop blaming reasons which slow you down, find your way out, mockery or noise at home can be easily replaced w
- Work early in morning after completing the required sleep.
- Practise as much as you can.
- Stay happy and stress-free in life, higher the burden, lower the productivity.
- Plan well, make a clear outline of most tasks.
- Be passionate about do, remember the reason, appreciate the reason, feel good about the task or goal.
- Deeper the roots bigger the tree, research, learn, ask questions, clear doubts, learn well, acquire deep knowledge.
- Avoid distractions, especially casual friends, and bad internet.
- Stop blaming reasons which slow you down, find your way out, mockery or noise at home can be easily replaced with headphones.
- Ignite the fire inside you, to give your best, to go much ahead from the point where you stand today.
- Start from the easiest task to gain momentum and confidence, both these arrows will help you pierce the toughest of problems.
- Concentrate on one task at a time, multitasking may help in many ways but not on speed.
Focusing on one thing.
Our mind is not designed to handle multiple things at once. In fact, it is impossible to multi-task.
Our mind simply switches between things so rapidly it seems we are doing more things than one, but physically that is not the case.
What does happen, however, is that we use way more energy this way.
Every switch costs energy, as our mind activates whole areas at the same time wh
Focusing on one thing.
Our mind is not designed to handle multiple things at once. In fact, it is impossible to multi-task.
Our mind simply switches between things so rapidly it seems we are doing more things than one, but physically that is not the case.
What does happen, however, is that we use way more energy this way.
Every switch costs energy, as our mind activates whole areas at the same time whenever a single thought is activated.
If we switch rapidly between different things, or focus on too many things at once, we will burn out much quicker in the day. Things will take us longer as we cannot get into a state of flow and, by the end of the day, it’s going to be awful to just concentrate as we will not have the energy for that.
Focusing on the important thing first.
Many Entrepreneurs and starting business owners struggle with this point in particular.
They worry so much about the everything that has even just a little bit to do with their business that they loose sight of what is truly important.
If you really want to get work done you have to look at the end goal and do what is most important first.
For business owners, this is usually Profit, in which case the most important thing is their funnel.
However, when it comes to productivity then look at what is supposed to result from that productivity and work on that first.
Of course you could do better if you drank more water, if you worked faster, slept more and did all of these side things, but that will not be the actual work.
Spend more time on that which brings results and less time on things that do not.
Plan your Time.
Ideally, you plan your entire day. For while we love to think of ourselves as productive and effective individuals, most people waste about 24 hours a week without understanding where that time is going.
You want to get more work done in less time? How about you create more time for yourself that you still have but aren’t using?
When you do that, and then plan your day thereafter, you realize that you have enough time for everything and it usually relaxes you a lot.
With that you’ll find it easier to plan effectively and adjust that plan as you improve on your scheduling over all.
And then, as you get busier and busier and become more and more effective with your time, it will become a lot easier for you to stay focused, as you do not really have a chance to think about other things!
If you do not have time, you have to focus.
Take effective Breaks.
Many people take breaks in which they still occupy their mind with random thoughts.
Movies, TV Shows, YouTube clips, are not the way to really take a break.
The best way to take a break is to let your mind rest.
Just as you let your body rest you need some time in the day to give your mind some peace and quiet.
Personally, I recommend Meditations, but if you do not like to do them then simply turn your chair around and do absolutely nothing for a few minutes. Close your eyes and just relax.
After 1–2 minutes you should already feel pretty recharged. Sometimes you might need a few more, just be careful if you go over 5 as that is the time you could potentially fall asleep!
Take some deep breaths, let your mind worry about nothing for this short while and then get back to work.
Reward yourself!
We love to bash ourselves for not doing everything we can, but hate the concept of giving ourselves a pat on the back for a job well done.
With this kind of a mindset it’s not surprising we hate our jobs, as every little thing we do comes with the possibility of being bashed once more.
If, instead, we were to reward ourselves for every time we did a great job it would look a lot different!
We would relish the thoughts of victory or success and have a lot more positive connotations around our work.
For this, try to give a small victory pose or sign of success when you do anything.
Finished another email? Stretch your arms in the air!
You got another client or customer? Give yourself a fist pump or do a victory pose in front of the mirror!
Finally got done with that big project? Jump in the air a few times in exuberance for a job well done!
You do not have to spend money to give yourself a sense of a...
Distractions come in many shapes and sizes.
Regardless, all distractions ruin your focus.
When something interrupts your work, it can take as much as 25 minutes to get your focus back.
For me, I could be sitting at my desk, immersed in my work, and then have my phone go off and completely ruin my focus.
To handle distractions better, we will put the distractions into categories and handle each.
There are three main types of distractions:
Phones, People, Our minds
I will give you some tips to help avoid distraction from each of these.
PHONES
Our phones are one of the biggest distractions.
The are everywh
Distractions come in many shapes and sizes.
Regardless, all distractions ruin your focus.
When something interrupts your work, it can take as much as 25 minutes to get your focus back.
For me, I could be sitting at my desk, immersed in my work, and then have my phone go off and completely ruin my focus.
To handle distractions better, we will put the distractions into categories and handle each.
There are three main types of distractions:
Phones, People, Our minds
I will give you some tips to help avoid distraction from each of these.
PHONES
Our phones are one of the biggest distractions.
The are everywhere we go and designed to make us want to keep checking them.
I read an article recently that said people check their phones, on average, 76 times a day! Talk about being distracted.
Here are some tips to beat distraction by phone.
1. Do Not Disturb
Put your phone on silent and “Do Not Disturb” mode.
This will stop your phone from making noise and vibrating when someone messages or calls you.
Now, when people call you it will go straight to voicemail. This allows you to be able to call them back on your own time instead of letting the call distract you.
Set your iPhone to Do Not Disturb by clicking the little half moon when you swipe up from the home screen. You’ll see the moon in the top right of your screen if you did it right.
My phone is on Do Not Disturb mode all the time.
But what if you want certain people to be able to call you?
You can do that too!
Just go on your iPhone to settings, then Do Not Disturb, then change “Allow calls from” to say favorites.
Now, only a handful of people will be able to get calls through to you!
2. Place your phone away from you
Now you won’t have calls and texts distracting you, but you still may have the urge to check your phone.
To combat this, place your phone away from you when you are doing work.
This will make the phone harder to get to instead of somewhere easy to access, like on your desk, and will help you stay focused.
If I’m working at home at my desk, I’ll throw my phone on the far side of the bed.
If I’m at work, I’ll put the phone on the other side of my desk or in a drawer.
PEOPLE
Phones are a huge distraction, but so are people.
Having someone interrupt you while working is just as bad as having your phone go off.
The tough part about people is that we don’t want to be mean.
Here are my best tips.
3. Tell them!
Give people who may be distractions a warning that you’re about to be doing work.
It really is that simple.
Just tell the people around you that you are about to do some difficult work and would appreciate it if they gave you a little undisturbed time.
Tell them about how long you will be working for and that you can talk to them right after.
For example, you could go to your co-worker, “Hey man, I’m about to dig in to some challenging work that requires a lot of focus. Do you need anything right now before I start? I’ll be working for about an hour and need to be able to focus. If you have any questions, I’ll be free after to talk. Does that work?”
This way you are polite and get any potential distractions out the way early.
4. Find a quiet place
Sometimes there are people around you that you that don’t directly interrupt your work but may still be distracting.
Try to find a place that is quiet or secluded so that you won’t have these distractions.
Some people can work in a coffee shop, but I honestly find the other people to be too distracting.
I prefer to work in an small office, a library, or just in my room!
If you have your own office, close the door! There is nothing wrong with wanting your quiet time.
YOUR MIND
The other type of distraction comes from inside you…your mind.
Think about the last time you were reading.
Were you in the zone, taking in every word the author said? Or did you have to re-read several sentences, or even full pages?
Sometimes our minds are going so fast that we have trouble focusing.
Use these tips to help!
5. Distraction list
Even if our phones are away and people aren’t disturbing us, our minds can wander.
It’s so easy to just open a new tab on the computer and look something up but this a huge distraction.
In order to beat our minds, I started using something I call a “distraction list.”
Basically, a distraction list is an ongoing list of all the things that I felt an urge to look up while working.
As I’m sitting at my desk working, I’ll have a thought and want to open a new tab to go research it.
However, instead of allowing myself to do that, I’ll just write down what it was I wanted to look up on this list.
After a couple hours, I will have a decently long list of things that tried to distract me.
Once I take a break from work, I can now look at the list to see which items are actually important things that I can go look up and which were not important at all.
6. Pomodoro technique
The Pomodoro technique is widely talked about but perfect for beating distraction.
This technique is basically giving yourself short mental burst of focus followed by a small rest.
In order to do it, set a timer for 25 minutes. Then, decide the main task you are going to focus on for the whole length of the timer. Once you are ready, start the timer and begin working. Don’t let yourself stop doing what you’re doing for the whole time, regardless of any possible distractions.
The goal is to completely focused on your task for the whole time. This allows you to get far more work done then if you just gave yourself all day to do it.
If you did the other steps right, you shouldn’t have any other distractions that get in the way.
Once the timer goes off, stop your work, give yourself a 5 minutes break. Then do another session.
Do about 4 Pomodoro sessions before taking a longer 30 minute break.
There you go.
These are 6 strategies you can use that will help limit your distractions so that you can take on the world!!
Congratulate him on his initiative and determination in getting better in his job. Then ask him if there is a field where he thinks he would benefit a great deal more by reading specific books, taking specific seminars, or working on specific projects, which you may not yet acquire.
As an example, two decades ago, I benefited a lot from reading Bruce Eckel‘s bible about the what and why of the Java language, and later from visiting one of his seminars.
As an aside, other than getting a more knowledgeable employee, my boss never had to worry about me leaving the company for a better salary offer.
Usually when I want to avert my attention away from something, I'll look at what else I could have done in that time over a long period of time. Let's do some math.
If you spend 90 minutes a day reading about unnecessary news when you could be focusing on what needs to be done at work/life during your work week M-F then that is 365 - (8*12) = 269 days reading. (296 days reading) * (90 minutes of r
Usually when I want to avert my attention away from something, I'll look at what else I could have done in that time over a long period of time. Let's do some math.
If you spend 90 minutes a day reading about unnecessary news when you could be focusing on what needs to be done at work/life during your work week M-F then that is 365 - (8*12) = 269 days reading. (296 days reading) * (90 minutes of reading) = 24,210 minutes.
(24,210 minutes) / (60 minutes) = 403.5 hours / 24 hours = approx 17 days lost.
Remember that this is assuming that you don't read anything on the weekends and that your weekly reading is limited to an hour and a half a day. Think of what could have been accomplished with an extra 17 days of focused attention.
We could also bring in the average time spent on social media networks, watching tv, and talking to people who bring no value to the conversation but these are the numbers that usually upset people...Oh well lets do it anyway.
Keep in mind these are all averages! Times spend on social media websites: 110 minutes a day. source [ http://www.globalwebindex.net/blog/daily-time-spent-on-social-networks-rises-to-1-72-hours ]
Time spent watching TV: 331 minutes a day. source [ http://www.emarketer.com/Article/US-Adults-Spend-55-Hours-with-Video-Content-Each-Day/1012362 ]
Time spend on smart phone: 58 minutes a day. sourc...
I'm afraid I have to disappoint you.
In my view, choosing to read unnecessary news on the Internet - this actually runs smack of laziness and procrastination - boils down to personal choices.
So don't use them as your alibis!
You just have to learn a few harsh realities about living in today's world:
- Nothing will work, unless you do. Thanks to inspiration from poet Maya Angelou.
- Nothing changes until something changes. This is Physics!
- For things to change, first you must change!
That's to say, you alone hold the vital key to resolving your own predicament.
You don't need any creative way to g
I'm afraid I have to disappoint you.
In my view, choosing to read unnecessary news on the Internet - this actually runs smack of laziness and procrastination - boils down to personal choices.
So don't use them as your alibis!
You just have to learn a few harsh realities about living in today's world:
- Nothing will work, unless you do. Thanks to inspiration from poet Maya Angelou.
- Nothing changes until something changes. This is Physics!
- For things to change, first you must change!
That's to say, you alone hold the vital key to resolving your own predicament.
You don't need any creative way to get around it.
Frankly, all you need to do - in fact, it's so easy - is to make up your mind, get up quickly, and then move your butt to do something purposeful, productive and meaningful.
Motivation comes from within yourself. Always has been. Always will be.
No extrinsic motivators can help you.
Got it?
Meanwhile, I like to leave these two elegant and inspiring quotes as food for thought:
By simply focusing on one thing.
I know it sounds typical but hear me out.
I have this theory called decision energy pool and it plays just nicely into this answer:
The decision energy pool
Your brain works in a very similar way to computer RAM. That's why I eat the same breakfast every day.
How does productivity and the one thing play into this?
You fill up your brain with a bunch of stuff and don't focus on the essentials, that's why you waste time.
For example, a typical morning for you might be: getting up, snoozing a bit, checking emails, reading the newspaper, oh what's that?
China's economy is
By simply focusing on one thing.
I know it sounds typical but hear me out.
I have this theory called decision energy pool and it plays just nicely into this answer:
The decision energy pool
Your brain works in a very similar way to computer RAM. That's why I eat the same breakfast every day.
How does productivity and the one thing play into this?
You fill up your brain with a bunch of stuff and don't focus on the essentials, that's why you waste time.
For example, a typical morning for you might be: getting up, snoozing a bit, checking emails, reading the newspaper, oh what's that?
China's economy is slowing down? Added to the RAM.
EU Bailout program didn't work? Added to the RAM.
Yankees lost their game yesterday? Added to the RAM.
Now what happens if you open a bunch of programs on your computer and they stay open for a while? Exactly. Your computer gets super slow.
The same happens with your brain and in turn happens to your productivity.
The brain gets overloaded with unnecessary information and you can't be productive while you're working on the important stuff, so you waste time.
That's one of the reasons why top performers such as Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs always wear the same stuff, day in and day out.
They save the energy that's needed for decisions like clothing, for more important decisions like products etc.
I call this the "decision energy pool" and I wrote about the concept in depth here.
(Unnecessary) information causes your decision energy pool to drain, because you have to think about it and take care of it.
That in turn makes you less productive.
So, the solution to this problem is simple: Do one thing, do it good, finish it and then go to the next thing.
In theory this might sound like you're wasting time and not being efficient, but we all know that multitasking is a myth and that you need to focus on one thing in order to be really, really productive.
What's your one thing you want to get done?
Here are some things I do.
- Use a checklist or to do list.
Before starting the day, I try to have a short to do list of what I hope to achieve for that day. I check back on that list multiple times throughout the day. If I'm slipping behind on my progress on these tasks, looking at the list has the tendency to jolt me back on track and into a focused state for the remainder of the day. I keep the to do list in sequential order, so there is always just one thing that is next on my list to do, and no choice around it. This reduces the chance that I switch between multiple tasks and end up getting
Here are some things I do.
- Use a checklist or to do list.
Before starting the day, I try to have a short to do list of what I hope to achieve for that day. I check back on that list multiple times throughout the day. If I'm slipping behind on my progress on these tasks, looking at the list has the tendency to jolt me back on track and into a focused state for the remainder of the day. I keep the to do list in sequential order, so there is always just one thing that is next on my list to do, and no choice around it. This reduces the chance that I switch between multiple tasks and end up getting nothing done. If things do crop up that require a change of plan, I will adjust my list to reflect that.
- Reduce interruptions.
I have stopped listening to music while working. Music does help in getting me into the 'zone' sometimes, but I've often found myself checking out the artist names and titles for catchy new songs, or skipping bad songs, or restarting the player, all of which can be disruptive to my flow of thought.
Similarly, I keep the number of news feeds I check during the work day to a minimum. These can suck a lot of your time and attention away, and while they might be interesting or good for learning, ultimately, they reduce the time you spend working. I usually leave these to designated break times.
- Adopt time-saving techniques.
There are many ways this could be done. I bring my personal laptop to work, so I have two machines at any time. This way, if one computer stalls for a moment, rather than use that as an opportunity to take a break or switch to an offline task, I would switch to the other computer and resume my work. Similarly, my work laptop stays connected to my large-screen monitor, while my personal laptop follows me to meetings. I don't need to spend time adjusting and resizing my windows -- everything stays where I remembered them to be.
I do the same for my browser windows and tabs. I have a designated window for certain classes of pages which I need to check somewhat regularly throughout the day. It saves me some time finding the right tab, although I still need to work on reducing the total number of tabs I have open.
- Star email for responding when optimal.
Emails usually do not need an immediate response. While it is tempting to check email regularly and I still do this, writing a response can take your attention away from your task at hand. If more immediate responses were expected, there is always IM/chat or talking in person, so no need to worry about the lack of immediacy.
- Do reading away from the computer.
For reading long papers and articles, I would choose to print a physical copy or view it on an iPad. This takes me away from my computer which can be a source of distraction. It's also helpful to read with a desired end-goal in mind, such as finishing with some key takeaway points or figuring out how to apply what you've just read to solve a problem you are facing at the moment. This helps you keep focused and goal-driven, until you're done reading or you've read enough to meet your goals. (Just a side note that if I do decide to print things out, I make sure it is double-sided, possibly shrunk to 2 pages a side, and take care to put it into a file for long-term storage and future reference after I'm done with it, in order to minimize the environmental impact.)
- Deliberately carve out a solid block of time for work.
Block this out in your calendar and go somewhere with minimal environmental distractions to focus on getting a lot done in a short time. This could take practice to make the most of but the work produced in one contiguous block of time could be way better than something you get working distractedly for an entire day.
I bet you already know the problem or probably you still want someone to tell it straight in your face - you are spending too much of your time on social media.
Well, there is actually nothing wrong about social media. The problem is how we use social media. You can find a lot of articles and good reads on Facebook or any other platform. What makes the difference is the type of content you choose to engage with. Try to click helpful links shared on social media the next time you sign in.
P.S. make sure you finish whatever you are reading. Don’t just keep on scrolling.
You are addicted. You can stop the same way you would break any other addiction like smoking or gambling.
All addictions are a contest between two brains in your head -- a rational brain and a primitive brain, which I'll call the fish brain. Your fish brain is addicted to being juiced with dopamine. Your rational brain is a gatekeeper between your fish brain and the outside world. Your fish brain cannot directly move your hand or speak. It needs permission from your rational brain to do (almost) anything.
If your rational brain says "no," your fish brain cannot do anything except sulk and ask
You are addicted. You can stop the same way you would break any other addiction like smoking or gambling.
All addictions are a contest between two brains in your head -- a rational brain and a primitive brain, which I'll call the fish brain. Your fish brain is addicted to being juiced with dopamine. Your rational brain is a gatekeeper between your fish brain and the outside world. Your fish brain cannot directly move your hand or speak. It needs permission from your rational brain to do (almost) anything.
If your rational brain says "no," your fish brain cannot do anything except sulk and ask again.
You quit by saying "no" every time it asks. When it says "time to check email," you say "No. I don't care how many times you ask or what rationalizations you present, I'm not checking email until I decide to. You are wasting your time asking."
Do not confuse this with will power. Will power is high stress and painful, what psychologists call cognitive dissonance. Stress comes from treating the fish as an equal and arguing with it. The fish eventually wins most will power contests by wearing you down. Arguing with it is like arguing with a teenager, wife, or girlfriend.
My approach is almost stress-free because it involves no arguing. All you need to do is recognize you cannot reason with the fish. It is incapable of logic. The reasons it gives are 100% emotional. They make no sense. So just tell it "no." You are not obliged to give it a reason nor engage in a dialog with it. It will give up and stop asking in a few days.
Give them a raise and encourage this developer.
You might consider making them a technical lead.
Encourage others to emulate this developer.
Listen to them, because they are up to date with possible improvements. You could learn from them.
This is someone who is not only doing their job, they are making sure they are ready for future challenges.
They the most one person most likely to “future proofing” your products.
You need more people with these abilities.
I coach people on how to use their time productively to get things done, and have more time to do the things they love to do - it doesn't have to be one thing or another. For me, I do it using science grounded in my own background as something who understands the brain (I'm a doc of psychology that optimizes people).
The internet has led many people to have short attention spans...we actually have recently been measured to have the attention span of a goldfish - but it's not something that needs to be set, and it's something you can train yourself out of...and have a better life.
Best of luck.
You spend less time working about work by working about work.
For instance, let's say you have too many meetings. If that's the case, you should have a meeting about meetings. You should discuss why you're having so many meetings, what sorts of topics do require meetings and which should be dealt with by other means, and what things you might try.
Perhaps each department or project might require a meeting about meetings for that department or project. After that discussion, you should work out a way that department or project could be run smoothly without so many meetings, and that will help the
You spend less time working about work by working about work.
For instance, let's say you have too many meetings. If that's the case, you should have a meeting about meetings. You should discuss why you're having so many meetings, what sorts of topics do require meetings and which should be dealt with by other means, and what things you might try.
Perhaps each department or project might require a meeting about meetings for that department or project. After that discussion, you should work out a way that department or project could be run smoothly without so many meetings, and that will help the project as well.
If you find yourself having too many meetings after that, or in the middle of a project, you should have a different meeting on meetings, and try to figure out when it makes sense to have a meeting, and how they should go.
That is, meetings about meetings can help you have fewer, more effective meetings.
Same with any work about work.
Spending time organizing your organizing system can pay for itself many times over; being able to find stuff you need fast is worth a lot.
Sometimes it makes sense to spend a little time with your boss, or one of your underlings, to clarify what it is expected of you (or them). Perhaps you (or they) are wasting a lot of time, or attempting something that there's a whole team for elsewhere, or working on something which doesn't really need to be done.
There are even workshops and seminars you can go to to help your work about work, though they aren't called that. They are marketed as workshops on effective meetings, on effective communication in the workplace, on workplace organization and time management, on how to use spreadsheets, on database management, or on a plethora of other topics.
Work about work isn't something to be avoided. It's just part of work.
Depends how you you use it, I stay up on current events, sports, entertainment. Some use it for marketing, blogging, or advertising.
Hey there engineer! Feeling swamped? Here's the lowdown on staying on schedule:
- Know your priorities: Figure out what's truly important, not just urgent. Tackle those big things first.
- Plan your days: Block out time for focused work and meetings. Think of your calendar as a battle plan!
- Use the right tools: Time trackers and project apps can be your secret weapons. See where your time goes and keep projects organized.
- Delegate what you can: Don't be a hero! If someone else can handle a task, let them. Free up your time for the important stuff.
- Focus on deep work: Schedule uninterrupted time to tack
Hey there engineer! Feeling swamped? Here's the lowdown on staying on schedule:
- Know your priorities: Figure out what's truly important, not just urgent. Tackle those big things first.
- Plan your days: Block out time for focused work and meetings. Think of your calendar as a battle plan!
- Use the right tools: Time trackers and project apps can be your secret weapons. See where your time goes and keep projects organized.
- Delegate what you can: Don't be a hero! If someone else can handle a task, let them. Free up your time for the important stuff.
- Focus on deep work: Schedule uninterrupted time to tackle complex tasks. Minimize distractions and crush those projects!
Remember, it's a marathon, not a sprint. Experiment and find what works for you. You've got this!
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Every business and company is different. It also heavily depends on resources and workload required of each resource.
That said, it may be totally possible in your situation to have engineers who could get by doing 3–4 hours of work per day while still maximizing productivity.
From what I've seen in the engineering realm, here are my suggestions:
- Lead by example. Many subordinates have this perception that bosses who hire them full time, expect them to be working full time. Let them know your plan for them and then show them you can do the work in 3–4 hours. Set the expectation and lead by exampl
Every business and company is different. It also heavily depends on resources and workload required of each resource.
That said, it may be totally possible in your situation to have engineers who could get by doing 3–4 hours of work per day while still maximizing productivity.
From what I've seen in the engineering realm, here are my suggestions:
- Lead by example. Many subordinates have this perception that bosses who hire them full time, expect them to be working full time. Let them know your plan for them and then show them you can do the work in 3–4 hours. Set the expectation and lead by example. This is what great leaders do.
- Have clear goals and objectives. Most of the engineers I've worked with that hated their jobs or bosses were because of unclear goals. This is the number one killer of productivity. You can't improve what you can't measure. Furthermore, you want to make sure you can accomplish the same amount of work in less time. Set the goal and then try to achieve it in your desired amount of time.
- Experiment. People are different. That's just the way it is. Over time you'll find what works and what they respond to. If theyre not open at all to trying, then you may have to look at some other engineers (unless they're performing amazingly as is).
This information is coming from an ex engineer (myself) who believes the same thing you do. This is what worked for me, and hopefully can work for your team as well.
Cheers,
Jason
Because for most people getting the job done to the minimum standard is the most efficient use of time.
As long as one does enough not to get fired, one gets paid. Therefore your effective hourly rate is higher the less work you do at work. Raises and bonuses are usually smal in relation to salary so putting in extra effort to secure one actually results in a very small hourly wage for those extra hours.
If you are the developer’s manager, put him/her on a performance improvement plan.
Have a private sit-down meeting with them. Explain that you expect a certain level of productivity. Show evidence that they haven’t done anything, or at least much less than is acceptable. For example, issue tracker assignments and source code commits can be used as a track record.
Get the individual engaged in the discussion. Ask them and then allow them to explain why they haven’t done any work. Ask them why they are spending time on social media instead of working?
Maybe they don’t know how to use the tools or p
If you are the developer’s manager, put him/her on a performance improvement plan.
Have a private sit-down meeting with them. Explain that you expect a certain level of productivity. Show evidence that they haven’t done anything, or at least much less than is acceptable. For example, issue tracker assignments and source code commits can be used as a track record.
Get the individual engaged in the discussion. Ask them and then allow them to explain why they haven’t done any work. Ask them why they are spending time on social media instead of working?
Maybe they don’t know how to use the tools or procedures that your team uses, and they’re too embarrassed to admit it. Maybe they are in over their head and don’t know how to write code at all. Maybe they have a social media addiction and they can’t stop. Maybe they have a hard time concentrating, because of the noisy or interrupt-driven working environment.
Ask them how they propose to fix the situation and become productive.
Once you have an agreement on a plan, put it in writing. It should be specific and measurable and have a due date. For example, “you will develop code to fix 6 nontrivial bugs in the next 30 days, work with teammates to code-review them, get them committed in source control, tested by QA, and then close out the bugs in the issue tracker.”
You as the manager reserve the right to judge whether a bug is “trivial” or not. They’re on review, not you, and they’ll have to abide by your judgement.
Explain very clearly and in writing that if they don’t satisfy this plan, you’ll have to let them go, because you have work that needs to get done.
I emphasize that it should be in writing, because you need to make sure there’s a paper trail. Give them the opportunity to improve, but you might need to terminate them. You’ll need to prove that the job expectations were made clear before you fire them. This protects you as the employer from being accused of wrongful termination.
Work with your Human Resources department to make sure you’re doing this to their satisfaction.
Others have mentioned extremely valuable points. However, I would like to add one more significant piece of advise my friend gave me. This helped me become more productive in my use of time on internet.
Whenever you open a browser, have a specific goal in your mind. Once you accomplish your goal, close the browser.
Following this advise every time I surfed the internet allowed me to "gain" at least 1 hour of my time every day. Simply having a goal kept me concentrated on my task and building a habit of closing the browser once reaching the goal helped me stay away from social networking sites
Others have mentioned extremely valuable points. However, I would like to add one more significant piece of advise my friend gave me. This helped me become more productive in my use of time on internet.
Whenever you open a browser, have a specific goal in your mind. Once you accomplish your goal, close the browser.
Following this advise every time I surfed the internet allowed me to "gain" at least 1 hour of my time every day. Simply having a goal kept me concentrated on my task and building a habit of closing the browser once reaching the goal helped me stay away from social networking sites as much as possible. Hope this helps!
Come to quora or go outside ive taken to going to the gym without any phone and bringing my boombox instead, i can either put the radio on or listen to hardcore rock and roll, pumps the whole weightroom up and peole will thank you for it