Using my Work Log
I mentioned yesterday that keeping my work log has helped me to manage my time more efficiently. It helps because I can’t remember everything I have done from day to day…they all just kind of meld into one another. So, using my log I can look at my work log history. I find that I am getting requests for a few different kinds of things.
- Reviewing SQL code developed by others for performance or accuracy
- Identifying causes for bugs in production software
- Managing developer access for hire/termination reasons
- Configuration of new database instances
- Managing Production Database Cluster
One of the things I have learned lately is that most of these requests do not require immediate attention. In fact, I can actually schedule them into my day rather than taking them on the moment the issue is made known.
Most of the management issues are known ahead of time and have become part of my scheduled/estimated work during a sprint.
The other work I track through email, which I now read only three times daily. I monitor my Email all day long for production alerts. But, other messages I don’t review except in the morning when I arrive, right after lunch, and just before going home in the evening. This allows me to focus on the things I need to accomplish. It also communicates to others that if they need my immediate attention, Email is not a good way to get into my schedule.
As I process my email throughout the day, I integrate work requests into my schedule during the sprint, creating tasks for the work. By not doing them one at a time I can often consolidate many requests into a single task, and also save a lot of time by not constantly switching gears.
I am sure this process won’t work everywhere, or in all situations. This is simply a process I have been polishing up recently that seems to be working for me.
Why not share the process or processes that work for you? Just send an Email to btaylor@sswug.org, and I’ll post it in a future newsletter editorial.
Cheers,
Ben
$$SWYNK$$
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