• S2:E6 - Handling Unplanned Work and Interruptions in Engineering Teams: The Firefighter Role

  • 2024/12/10
  • 再生時間: 31 分
  • ポッドキャスト

S2:E6 - Handling Unplanned Work and Interruptions in Engineering Teams: The Firefighter Role

  • サマリー

  • In this episode, we explore a challenge that plagues every engineering team: the constant stream of interruptions that disrupt our workflows. Drawing from our combined experiences working with dozens of engineering teams, we introduce the concept of the “firefighter” role - a structured approach to managing unplanned work that’s transformed how teams handle interruptions.

    We dive into the science behind context switching, examine why solutions often fail, and explore a practical framework that turns interruptions from productivity killers into opportunities for systematic improvement.

    Key topics we cover:

    • The true cost of context switching in engineering teams
    • Why common interrupt-handling approaches break down
    • How to implement and rotate the firefighter role
    • Turning interruptions into systematic improvements
    • Measuring success and avoiding common pitfalls

    Show Notes:

    How engineering teams handle unplanned work - this article captured my thoughts exactly and includes some really good visualisations of the different approaches.

    The Cost of Interrupted Work: More Speed and Stress - UC Irvine study

    And a FastCompany article about the study.

    Share your thoughts about the episode (and the podcast) at feedback@the-retrospective.com!

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あらすじ・解説

In this episode, we explore a challenge that plagues every engineering team: the constant stream of interruptions that disrupt our workflows. Drawing from our combined experiences working with dozens of engineering teams, we introduce the concept of the “firefighter” role - a structured approach to managing unplanned work that’s transformed how teams handle interruptions.

We dive into the science behind context switching, examine why solutions often fail, and explore a practical framework that turns interruptions from productivity killers into opportunities for systematic improvement.

Key topics we cover:

  • The true cost of context switching in engineering teams
  • Why common interrupt-handling approaches break down
  • How to implement and rotate the firefighter role
  • Turning interruptions into systematic improvements
  • Measuring success and avoiding common pitfalls

Show Notes:

How engineering teams handle unplanned work - this article captured my thoughts exactly and includes some really good visualisations of the different approaches.

The Cost of Interrupted Work: More Speed and Stress - UC Irvine study

And a FastCompany article about the study.

Share your thoughts about the episode (and the podcast) at feedback@the-retrospective.com!

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