Comments on: Momentum http://www.robertnyman.com/2007/06/13/momentum/ Web development and Internet trends Wed, 19 Nov 2008 23:40:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Robert Nyman http://www.robertnyman.com/2007/06/13/momentum/#comment-69790 Robert Nyman Fri, 15 Jun 2007 19:17:58 +0000 http://www.robertnyman.com/2007/06/13/momentum/#comment-69790 Ross, Yes, for social and creative reasons, it's great. But you definitely become less productive. And definitely, headphones seem to be the key in any place I've worked at at lest the last five year or so. Steven, I think people have to be more blunt, to prevent momentum disturbance. :-) Ross,

Yes, for social and creative reasons, it’s great. But you definitely become less productive.

And definitely, headphones seem to be the key in any place I’ve worked at at lest the last five year or so.

Steven,

I think people have to be more blunt, to prevent momentum disturbance. :-)

]]> By: Steven Clark http://www.robertnyman.com/2007/06/13/momentum/#comment-69542 Steven Clark Thu, 14 Jun 2007 22:30:06 +0000 http://www.robertnyman.com/2007/06/13/momentum/#comment-69542 an interesting human quirk is that if person A is sitting at his computer and needs a phone number which will take 40 seconds to retrieve we quite predictably lean to our co-worker and ask for the number hoping to get it in 20 seconds! Unfortunately that just pulled the co-worker out of the zone and lost many more minutes of productive flow in their momentum. mmm my partner puts headphones on - I am rather thick at getting hints :) an interesting human quirk is that if person A is sitting at his computer and needs a phone number which will take 40 seconds to retrieve we quite predictably lean to our co-worker and ask for the number hoping to get it in 20 seconds!

Unfortunately that just pulled the co-worker out of the zone and lost many more minutes of productive flow in their momentum.

mmm my partner puts headphones on - I am rather thick at getting hints :)

]]> By: Ross Johnson http://www.robertnyman.com/2007/06/13/momentum/#comment-69487 Ross Johnson Thu, 14 Jun 2007 18:55:49 +0000 http://www.robertnyman.com/2007/06/13/momentum/#comment-69487 I agree completely. I work in an open environment, and for some aspects of creativity it is great. However for productivity, it tends to be horrible... there have been days upon days where I found myself thinking "god I wish I had a door." My newest tactic is to put headphones on, even if I am not listening to anything. People seem less likely to bother me when it looks like I can't hear them, and they would have to tap me on the shoulder. I agree completely. I work in an open environment, and for some aspects of creativity it is great. However for productivity, it tends to be horrible… there have been days upon days where I found myself thinking “god I wish I had a door.”

My newest tactic is to put headphones on, even if I am not listening to anything. People seem less likely to bother me when it looks like I can’t hear them, and they would have to tap me on the shoulder.

]]> By: Robert Nyman http://www.robertnyman.com/2007/06/13/momentum/#comment-69481 Robert Nyman Thu, 14 Jun 2007 18:30:54 +0000 http://www.robertnyman.com/2007/06/13/momentum/#comment-69481 Steven, Yes, There are a number of studies, and just looking how it works in practice, you do get less productive. But, in all fairness, this was as much a post to me to stop me from bothering my co-workers all the time too. :-) Pat, I constantly have that blank stare in front of the computer, so it's hard to blame anyone else... :-) Besides, no one ever starts with "honey" when they're calling for me. :-) Steven,

Yes, There are a number of studies, and just looking how it works in practice, you do get less productive. But, in all fairness, this was as much a post to me to stop me from bothering my co-workers all the time too. :-)

Pat,

I constantly have that blank stare in front of the computer, so it’s hard to blame anyone else… :-)

Besides, no one ever starts with “honey” when they’re calling for me. :-)

]]> By: Pat http://www.robertnyman.com/2007/06/13/momentum/#comment-69466 Pat Thu, 14 Jun 2007 17:56:32 +0000 http://www.robertnyman.com/2007/06/13/momentum/#comment-69466 Nice post Robert. It's all too true. I hate being interrupted while for example, coding.. especially when I'm in that place where my fingers are typing faster than my brain. Ohhhh, the feeling.. then, out of nowhere I hear, "Hone-ey", with no answer from me; honey turns to "Pat!", and you have no other choice then to break the momentum, and come back to your computer with a blank stupid stare on your face :( Nice post Robert. It’s all too true. I hate being interrupted while for example, coding.. especially when I’m in that place where my fingers are typing faster than my brain. Ohhhh, the feeling.. then, out of nowhere I hear, “Hone-ey”, with no answer from me; honey turns to “Pat!”, and you have no other choice then to break the momentum, and come back to your computer with a blank stupid stare on your face :(

]]> By: Steven Clark http://www.robertnyman.com/2007/06/13/momentum/#comment-69248 Steven Clark Thu, 14 Jun 2007 00:47:40 +0000 http://www.robertnyman.com/2007/06/13/momentum/#comment-69248 Studies show, and I'm too busy to drag up the references, that it can take up to an hour to get back into normal workflow after being interrupted - usually for trivialities like 'do you know the phone number of X'. Its one of the real reasons why open plan work environments suck in real life, collaboration is all good and well but if some people are only getting 2 hours real work done in a day then the trade-off isn't worth it. Don't you just love it when you're in the middle of something complicated you're making for the client, there are about 20 variables you're subconsciously tracking, and the phone rings with the obligatory 20 minute conversation about the big picture lol. I understand your pain Robert - buy a growly bear sign and put it on a real office door. Studies show, and I’m too busy to drag up the references, that it can take up to an hour to get back into normal workflow after being interrupted - usually for trivialities like ‘do you know the phone number of X’. Its one of the real reasons why open plan work environments suck in real life, collaboration is all good and well but if some people are only getting 2 hours real work done in a day then the trade-off isn’t worth it.

Don’t you just love it when you’re in the middle of something complicated you’re making for the client, there are about 20 variables you’re subconsciously tracking, and the phone rings with the obligatory 20 minute conversation about the big picture lol.

I understand your pain Robert - buy a growly bear sign and put it on a real office door.

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