At the very least it's a fun read!
[0] https://www.amazon.com/Phoenix-Project-DevOps-Helping-Busine...
Magnetic chargers for all my devices: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002239613192.html For context, I never transfer data through cords for my devices. I have semi-permanently affixed these chargers to my devices and now I have chargers that work for all of them. Life-changing purchase.
Cheap Earbuds: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000507169624.html I bought 10x of these for ~1 USD each, and it put a pair in every bag, box and jacket I traveled with so I'd always have a set with me no matter what. Very convenient.
Metal card wallet: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32808543399.html Going on 3 years, fairly durable for the price. Reduced wallet size by forcing me to discard (pun intended).
Sleep mask: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KC5DWCC Also life-changing. I have 16 windows in my room and this allowed me to finally sleep past daybreak.
Ear protection: (not exact pair, but similar) https://www.amazon.com/12010-34dB-Highest-Safety-Muffs/dp/B0... Combined with the aforementioned cheap earbuds, these replace 200+ USD noise cancelling headphones for ~15 USD total and allow me to concentrate at work.
Rechargeable batteries (AAA and AA), and recharger: I use these for everything that requires batteries.
The Phoenix Project (Book): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1942788290/ This book helped me change my career trajectory in a positive way.
It’s also why Gene Kim & co wrote “The Phoenix Project” [1].
Everyone involved in software-building, non-tech industry should read it.
In the end it’s just lean turned agile software dev. Reduce waste.
[1] https://www.amazon.com/Phoenix-Project-DevOps-Helping-Busine...
The Phoenix Project: https://www.amazon.com/Phoenix-Project-DevOps-Helping-Busine...
Its related Dev Ops Handbook: https://www.amazon.com/DevOps-Handbook-World-Class-Reliabili...
I'm also reading the Phoenix Project [1], and there's a worker Brent who knows every system well and can fix any issue. However, he is supposed to be working on the big company project (think like an ERP system). However, he can't get that work done because everyone and their brother keeps asking for a "quick" five minutes of his time, several times a day. All in all, he is not able to get his assigned tasks done because he's so busy with other interruptions.
If that happens then yes, talk to your direct report and come up with a better solution. But you shouldn't need to block out every interruption ever. There are times when it is warranted.
[1]: https://www.amazon.com/Phoenix-Project-DevOps-Helping-Busine...
The Phoenix Project: A Novel about IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Win https://www.amazon.com/Phoenix-Project-DevOps-Helping-Busine...
https://www.amazon.com/Phoenix-Project-DevOps-Helping-Busine...
https://www.amazon.com/Phoenix-Project-DevOps-Helping-Busine...
- Embracing the idea of a manual valuable process is a great one - as engineers we often want to start by automating and/or building, and dive right in - only to realize later we either didn't understand the product, or our stakeholder didn't and now wants changes once they've seen what it does. (Deeper dives here: "Escaping the Build Trap"[1], "The Minimalist Entrepreneur"[2]
- Understanding negotiation is extremely helpful as you are often operating under constraints, and need to get those across to your stakeholders such that you can both move forward together. Negotiation is basically about aligning two stakeholders with different goals and arriving at an arrangement they can both live with. (Highly recommend "Negotiate without Fear"[3])
- Another excellent concept surrounds the theory of constraints and getting good at recognizing bottlenecks, and subordinating all other processes to them. Essentially, if work is piling up somewhere, look at where it is coming from, and attempt to re-route those efforts to something productive (the bottleneck moves the same speed regardless of how much work is piled up in front of it). The classic book on this matter is "The Goal"[4] but a fun retelling more oriented around an IT department is "The Phoenix Project"[5].
[1] https://www.amazon.com/Escaping-Build-Trap-Effective-Managem... [2] https://www.amazon.com/Minimalist-Entrepreneur-Great-Founder... [3] https://www.amazon.com/Negotiate-without-Fear-Strategies-Max... [4] https://www.amazon.com/Goal-Process-Ongoing-Improvement/dp/0... [5] https://www.amazon.com/Phoenix-Project-DevOps-Helping-Busine...