Distracting software engineers is more harmful than most managers think

Overview The article discusses the hidden costs of constantly interrupting software engineers, arguing that such distractions reduce output, increase errors, and erode trust. It highlights how modern AI tools can both alleviate and exacerbate these interruptions, and offers practical guidance for managers to protect engineers' focus.

Key Takeaways

• Unplanned interruptions can cost up to several hours of productive work per engineer per week.
• Over-reliance on real-time communication tools leads to context-switching fatigue.
• Managers should set clear "focus time" policies and leverage AI-assisted summaries instead of direct queries.
• Measuring and visualizing interruption costs helps teams prioritize uninterrupted work.

Who Would Benefit

• Engineering managers looking to improve team productivity.
• Technical leads responsible for allocating engineering resources.
• CTOs and senior leaders interested in optimizing engineering output.
• Software engineers who experience frequent distractions.

Frameworks and Methodologies

• Deep Work principles for protecting focus time.
• Asynchronous communication best practices.
• AI-augmented knowledge bases to reduce ad-hoc queries.