Human Velocity: Managing the

Complexities of the Technical Workday

About MeAbout Me

Topics• Tools and Utilities• Strategies

–Task Management–Time Management

What?

How?When?

Topics• Tools and Utilities• Strategies

–Task Management–Time Management

Tools and Utilities• Evernote– Simple, plain text– Desktop app, mobile, web

Tools and Utilities• Workflowy– Freeform listing tool–Mobile app, web

Tools and Utilities

Tools and Utilities• A Calendar– Lets you know when to begin and end blocked

time.

Tools and Utilities• Criteria– Update on the go– Redundant– Simple– (Free)

Topics• Tools and Utilities• Strategies

–Task Management–Time Management

Strategies > Task Management

• A Script–A simple, numbered process

• A “Hot List”–A plain-text list of prioritized items

“in flight”

Strategies > Task Management

• A Script–A simple, numbered process

• A “Hot List”–A plain-text list of prioritized items

“in flight”

Strategies > Task Management > Script Example

1. Check email and reply as needed.2. Write down new items that need to be

tracked in the Hot List.3. Review the day's meetings and prepare

notes for each.4. Perform any repeated tasks.5. Address Hot List.

Strategies > Task Management > Script Example

• Is there a deployment tomorrow?• Is there a deployment today?• Is it Monday?• Is it the first day of a sprint?• Is it the last day of a sprint?

Strategies > Task Management > Script Example

• Is it the first of the month?• Is it November 15?

Strategies > Task Management

• A Script–A simple, numbered process

• A “Hot List”–A plain-text list of prioritized items

“in flight”

Script

1. Check email and reply as needed.

2. Write down new items that need to be tracked in the Hot List.

3. Review the day's meetings and prepare prepare notes for each.

4. Perform any repeated tasks.

5. Address Hot List.

Hot List

• Follow up with legal team about terms of service change. Last contact: Joe Smith, 2/6 5:39PM

• Talk with customer service rep about issue #14938. Last contact: Jen Jones, 2/7 3:11PM

• Get Dave White access to the new phone system.

• Schedule a team meeting to discuss the changes to the benefits.

• Start doing annual reviews for direct reports.

• Follow up with Mary Shepard about taking on more work. Last discussed: 2/11

• Take mandatory training (due on Feb 28).

Script

1. Check email and reply as needed.

2. Write down new items that need to be tracked in the Hot List.

3. Review the day's meetings and prepare prepare notes for each.

4. Perform any repeated tasks.

5. Address Hot List.

Hot List

• Follow up with legal team about terms of service change. Last contact: Joe Smith, 2/6 5:39PM

• Talk with customer service rep about issue #14938. Last contact: Jen Jones, 2/7 3:11PM

• Get Dave White access to the new phone system.

• Schedule a team meeting to discuss the changes to the benefits.

• Start doing annual reviews for direct reports.

• Follow up with Mary Shepard about taking on more work. Last discussed: 2/11

• Take mandatory training (due on Feb 28).

Script

1. Check email and reply as needed.

2. Write down new items that need to be tracked in the Hot List.

3. Review the day's meetings and prepare prepare notes for each.

4. Perform any repeated tasks.

5. Address Hot List.

Hot List

• Follow up with legal team about terms of service change. Last contact: Joe Smith, 2/6 5:39PM

• Talk with customer service rep about issue #14938. Last contact: Jen Jones, 2/7 3:11PM

• Get Dave White access to the new phone system.

• Schedule a team meeting to discuss the changes to the benefits.

• Start doing annual reviews for direct reports.

• Follow up with Mary Shepard about taking on more work. Last discussed: 2/11

• Take mandatory training (due on Feb 28).

Script

1. Check email and reply as needed.

2. Write down new items that need to be tracked in the Hot List.

3. Review the day's meetings and prepare prepare notes for each.

4. Perform any repeated tasks.

5. Address Hot List.

Hot List

• Follow up with legal team about terms of service change. Last contact: Joe Smith, 2/6 5:39PM

• Talk with customer service rep about issue #14938. Last contact: Jen Jones, 2/7 3:11PM

• Get Dave White access to the new phone system.

• Schedule a team meeting to discuss the changes to the benefits.

• Start doing annual reviews for direct reports.

• Follow up with Mary Shepard about taking on more work. Last discussed: 2/11

• Take mandatory training (due on Feb 28).

Topics > Strategies > Task Management > Daily Script

You should be able to suffer from amnesia and never miss a beat.

Topics• Tools and Utilities• Strategies

–Task Management–Time Management

Strategies > Time Management

• Simplicity before all• Block off time• Refer to your script• Discipline: Start on time, end on time• Treat it with respect

Strategies > Time Management

Tying It All Together

• Block off chunks of time in your day– Be disciplined

• Use the blocked time well– Utilize a Script to stay on task

and a Hot List to make sure you don’t lose track of anything

Topics• Tools and Utilities• Strategies

–Task Management–Time Management

What?

How?When?

Why?

The Franklin Principle

1882 The Naval War of 18121885 Hunting Trips of a Ranchman Parts 1 & 21887 Thomas Hart Benton1888 Essays on Practical Politics1888 Gouverneur Morris1888 Ranch Life and the Hunting Trail1889 The Winning of the West, Vol 11891 New York 1893 The Wilderness Hunter 1893 American Big Game, with George Bird Grinnell 1894 The Winning of the West, Vol 4 "The Indian Wars" 1895 Hero Tales from American History, with Henry Lodge1895 Hunting in Many Lands, with George Bird Grinnell 1897 American Ideals1897 Some American Game1897 Trail and Campfire, with George Bird Grinnell 1899 The Rough Riders1900 Oliver Cromwell 1900 The Strenuous Life1902 The Deer Family, with T.S. Van Dyke, D.G. Elliot, and A.J. Stone1904 Addresses and Messages 1905 Outdoor Pastimes of an American Hunter1905 The Winning of the West, Vol 5 "Louisiana and Aaron Burr”1907 Good Hunting1909 Outdoor Editorials1910 African and European Addresses1910 African Game Trails1910 American Problems 1910 The New Nationalism 1910 Presidential Addresses and State Papers, 8 vols.1912 The Conservation of Womanhood and Childhood 1912 Realizable Goals 1913 Autobiography 1913 History as Literature1913 Progressive Principles 1914 Through the Brazilian Wilderness 1914 African Game Animals, with Edmund Heller1915 America and the World War 1916 A Book-Lovers Holiday in the Open 1916 Fear God and Take Your Own Part1917 The Foes of Our Own Household1917 Social Justice and Popular Rule 1917 National Strength and International Duty 1918 The Great Adventure1919 Letters to His Children

• 7:00am - Breakfast. • 8:00am - Reading: an historical work. • 9:00am - A speech. • 10:00am - Dictating letters. • 11:00am - Discuss Montana mines. • 12:00pm - Reading: an ornithological work. • 12:30pm - A speech. • 1:00pm - Lunch.• 2:30pm - Reading: Sir Walter Scott.• 3:00pm - Answering telegrams. • 4:00pm - Meeting the press. • 4:30pm - Reading. • 5:00pm - A speech. • 6:00pm - Reading. • 7:00pm - Supper. • 8:00pm - Speaking.• 11:00pm - Reading alone in car. • 12:00am - To bed.

• 7:00am - Breakfast. • 8:00am - Reading: an historical work. • 9:00am - A speech. • 10:00am - Dictating letters. • 11:00am - Discuss Montana mines. • 12:00pm - Reading: an ornithological work. • 12:30pm - A speech. • 1:00pm - Lunch.• 2:30pm - Reading: Sir Walter Scott.• 3:00pm - Answering telegrams. • 4:00pm - Meeting the press. • 4:30pm - Reading. • 5:00pm - A speech. • 6:00pm - Reading. • 7:00pm - Supper. • 8:00pm - Speaking.• 11:00pm - Reading alone in car. • 12:00am - To bed.

• 7:00am - Breakfast. • 8:00am - Reading: an historical work. • 9:00am - A speech. • 10:00am - Dictating letters. • 11:00am - Discuss Montana mines. • 12:00pm - Reading: an ornithological work. • 12:30pm - A speech. • 1:00pm - Lunch.• 2:30pm - Reading: Sir Walter Scott.• 3:00pm - Answering telegrams. • 4:00pm - Meeting the press. • 4:30pm - Reading. • 5:00pm - A speech. • 6:00pm - Reading. • 7:00pm - Supper. • 8:00pm - Speaking.• 11:00pm - Reading alone in car. • 12:00am - To bed.

"Do we need more time? Or do we need to be more disciplined with the time we have?"

- Kerry Johnson, Author / Keynote Speaker

@MatthewCanning

Thank You