The FlowLight system tracks how busy workers are on their computers – and warns off colleagues if you are not to be disturbed
From my perspective as a craftsman, to put it bluntly, this is dumb.
Problem 1: The correlation of keyboard and mouse activity to being “in the zone.” (Side note: is being “in the zone” really a good thing?) Software development is primarily a mental exercise. Correlating productivity to lines of code is a mistake, a misguided holdover from the “engineering” school of software development. Come to think of it, the times when I most appreciate being uninterrupted is when I’m *not* typing. After all, if I’m interrupted while typing, I have an established context to which I can easily return. Not so when I’m interrupted mid-thought! This problem is also addressed by Jelmer Borst in the article. He thinks it could be remedied by measuring other forms of biometrics, such as pupil dilation. I think that sounds like a bizarrely technological solution to a relational / cultural problem.
Problem 2: The device limits your “in the zone” / red light status to 13% of your day. Assuming an 8-hour day, that’s one hour of red light per day. If you want to be uninterrupted for more than that, this device is of little use to you.
Problem 3: The device integrates with technology mostly irrelevant to craftsmen. Are you a craftsman who lives in Windows®, Skype for Business®, and Office 365®? If so, I have never met you. If not, this device doesn’t work for you. Granted, that’s not necessarily a problem, given the prior two paragraphs.
Why am I not overly concerned about interruptions? A craftsman’s work should be characterized by short iterative cycles. Ideas should generally be talked out, minimally within a pair, ideally (if not exceedingly technical in nature), with business owners and/or stakeholders.
Are there times when ponderous thought and concentration are necessary, when interruptions are particularly damaging to productivity? Certainly this is the case, from time to time. This is one reason why it is so important to cultivate an atmosphere of respect in your workplace. Train your people to be social during social times (lunch, breaks, etc.) in social areas (meeting rooms, kitchen, lunch table, game room, etc.) and non-intrusive otherwise. It may seem counter-intuitive at first, but an overabundance of interruptions may indicate that your office needs more times of community and socialization, not less.
Finally, a craftsman should be trusted to be a professional and to work in the way he knows will yield the best results. If you need to be uninterrupted for a time, abscond to a room with a door and shut it behind you. Go to a place where you find it easy to concentrate, perhaps where people won’t find you. Do your deep thinking there, and then return to your colleagues to actualize your thoughts in community.
