Everyday work
The part of the day that is not in the calendar: interruptions, small stuff, tasks between appointments.
Belongs here
- Interruptions and what they really cost
- Tasks that belong to nobody
- Dealing with what is left undone
Does not belong here
- Morning routines
- Methods with brand names
- Advice that assumes you have an assistant
What an interruption really costs
More than the minutes it takes — but how much more cannot be stated seriously.
The often quoted “23 minutes to get back on task” comes from a single lab study and has been passed along without context for years. What holds is the direction, not the figure: someone torn out of a task every ten minutes is working on none of them. You notice that without measuring.
Tasks that belong to nobody
They sit there until they become urgent. Then whoever is around does them.
The way out is unspectacular: put a name on it. Not “the team”, a person — even if that person delegates it. Without a name there is no point at which something registers as overdue.
Posts on Everyday
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