Cracking the Code on Context Switching and Time management

Hey friend,

Happy New Year! With the new year, I've some great news.

This newsletter is now called Engineering Leadership Snacks ↗️. Thank you so much for your votes 🗳️.

You'll be able to read all the previous newsletters there. Please share it with your friends.

Last week, many of you voted for the topic: Context Switching and Managing Time. Today, I wanted to share a bit more about managing time, which also touches on context switching.

Today, I want to share a few tactics with you to manage your time better. I'd like you to apply these tactics to achieve your goals.

☑️ Get rid of to-do lists

Use the Eisenhower Matrix instead.

You need to take all your tasks and split them between four categories:

• Tasks that are urgent and important - these are the tasks you should do now.
• Tasks that are urgent but not important - should be delegated.
• Tasks that are not urgent but important - should be scheduled.
• Tasks that are not urgent and not important - should be deleted.

After you split your tasks between four categories, you should be left with a clear picture of what you have to do now, schedule for later, delegate, and get rid of. No more analysis paralysis.

⏰ How are you investing your time?

When coaching an engineering leader, one of my favourite questions is how do you invest your time?

This is a tricky question to answer.

And in fact, we have a pretty wrong idea of how we effectively allocate our time. We have a bias because some activities are more present in our minds. After all, sometimes, times do not feel linear. One hour fulfilling a report may look longer than one hour having a chat with a teammate.

Here are a few takeaways 📋,

• Record everything on your agenda
• Analyze on a regular basis
• Rebalance the time allocation on my activities
• How much time is dedicated to hiring and onboarding, one-on-one with my direct reports, etc?
• How regularly do meetings take place?

⚡️ Do not waste your energy

There are specific activities that might take a lot of energy, and in the Eisenhower matrix, they are important, so you should do them first thing in the morning.

Here is a checklist for you ✅

• [ ] Identify the different sources of energy in your life
• [ ] Create a list of energizing activities and experiences
• [ ] Prioritize the items on your list
• [ ] Develop a daily, weekly, or monthly routine that incorporates your energy sources
• [ ] Set reminders to engage in energizing activities
• [ ] Monitor your energy levels and adjust your plan accordingly

📐🏆 Take it offline

Try to have a conversation async first and see where you land. If you need to hop on a call afterward, you can do that, but we can discuss things async.

🛡️ Avoid context switching

Often, when you are burned out, it can also be because you are taking on too much or you are context-switching a lot.

You don't get anything done due to this and end up feeling behind.

• Block out focus time during the start of the week or in the mornings
• Group meetings together if you can

Action items for you ✅

Please share your thoughts on this topic by replying to this email and any strategies you've found effective in managing your time and also context switching.

I'll include those in next week's newsletter.

Wishing you a wonderful start to 2024! 🎉

🧰 The Engineering Leader's Toolbox

• 🎙️ Last year, I went on the Hanselman Podcast; Hanselmann Podcast, you can listen here ↗️ and learn why I decided to become a creator full-time, how I prioritize things in my career and more you might enjoy. It is definitely one of my favourite podcasts.
• A helpful cheatsheet for decision-making by Kevin Box 👇

• Veni - Founder of DiversifyTechCo. Shared a list of internship opportunities ↗️ ​

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