4 Q's - The Cost of Context Switching

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Quintessential Thought

Context-switching hinders effectiveness and clarity. Trying to juggle multiple tasks, like distinguishing similar symbols in a password, brings about unnecessary challenges. It's an amplified representation of the costs we face daily when we're not focused. Hence, the importance of vision, goals, and dedicated focus cannot be stressed enough.

On average, teams only spend 80% of their time on dedicated products, highlighting the urgent need to streamline focus. Furthermore, it's concerning to note that customers frequently use only 20% of the features we laboriously build, underscoring the significance of understanding and prioritizing what truly adds value.

In action:

1. Avoid multitasking and context-switching.

2. Maintain a clear vision and goal for tasks.

3. Prioritize building features with genuine value for users. Let your level of investment in something match your level of evidence.

Quotes

“Brief mental blocks created by shifting between tasks can cost as much as 40% of productive time.” - American Psychological Association

“I’m multitasking. I can listen, ignore, and forget at the same time.” - Anonymous

“Multitasking makes you stupid. Doing more than one thing at a time makes you slower and worse at both tasks. Don't do it. If you think this doesn't apply to you, you're wrong—it does.” - Jeff Sutherland

Quick Step

Try writing the letters of the alphabet as many times as possible within 30 seconds. Then try the same with numbers. Then try alternating letters and numbers and see the difference.

Question

What are you working on that doesn’t need to be done? How can you apply that time to the most crucial tasks?

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