Have a Focused Day
The Product Camp Austin event was remarkable (it’s hard to believe that this happened two months ago!!). The free six-hour session was jammed with networking and learning opportunities that will certainly have me attending next year.
Product Managers, or any professional for that matter, you always have more work than can be accomplished in one day. The key is focus. Colleen Heubaum, one of the Product Camp presenters, expertly described work-days as Buffer Days or Focus Days.
Buffer days are days where you are prepping to focus, typically moving quickly from task to task. Context switching rules the day in a ‘buffer day’ and routinely zaps productivity. As a Product Manager, it is inviting and easy to stay in the Buffer day ‘zone’. One is making progress on small deliverables, but never dedicating extended time on the most important things.
Ms. Heubaum encouraged us to spend more of our days as focus days; this is where progress happens. We’ve identified the most important item that needs our attention and we’re not distracted by the ebbs and flows of the day.
