I love this post! It nails 2 of the 3 issues I've been grappling with since the beginning of the pandemic and remote work. They are async fixation and deep work obsession. You've validated my hunch that pair programming is actually a deep work session. Also, I wanted to point out that async fixation has the negative aspect of reducing a sense of connected-ness on the team.
I agree with you — I think it's safe to say that, in general, pair programming is deep work. This is based on how Cal Newport defines deep work as a contrast to shallow work, where the latter are tasks done in short bursts with low meaning (e.g. responding to email). Coincidentally, async obsession assumes that any collaborative activity can be satisfied with shallow work, which in-and-of-itself is concerning.
Lastly, great point on async fixation reducing the sense of connectedness on a team! I've definitely seen this, and given the trend it's a rising concern to watch out for.
Thanks for the pairing tip. I'm definitely going to try and get a sense of anxiety or boredom when I do pairing retros so that I can adjust for future sessions.
"Just add a comment to the PR and I'll get to it" - this couldn't have come at a better time! Struggling with some PR issues on the team and I have a feeling async fixation may be playing a role..
Well at least you're not alone! I'd be interested to hear what you try to counteract this tendency (that's only going to grow with the prevalence of remote work, IMHO).
I love this post! It nails 2 of the 3 issues I've been grappling with since the beginning of the pandemic and remote work. They are async fixation and deep work obsession. You've validated my hunch that pair programming is actually a deep work session. Also, I wanted to point out that async fixation has the negative aspect of reducing a sense of connected-ness on the team.
Thanks for the feedback Shah!
I agree with you — I think it's safe to say that, in general, pair programming is deep work. This is based on how Cal Newport defines deep work as a contrast to shallow work, where the latter are tasks done in short bursts with low meaning (e.g. responding to email). Coincidentally, async obsession assumes that any collaborative activity can be satisfied with shallow work, which in-and-of-itself is concerning.
I also believe that pair programming relates closely to flow states; as an example, the "flow channel" diagram (https://www.researchgate.net/figure/The-basic-flow-channels-a-Csikszentmihalyis-original-Csikszentmihalyi-1975-flow_fig7_264860377) can serve as an effective guide for a pairing session. Neither pair should ever feel neither anxious nor bored, and when they do, the pairing session can be adjusted based on the skills and challenges at hand.
Lastly, great point on async fixation reducing the sense of connectedness on a team! I've definitely seen this, and given the trend it's a rising concern to watch out for.
Thanks for the pairing tip. I'm definitely going to try and get a sense of anxiety or boredom when I do pairing retros so that I can adjust for future sessions.
Nice! Let me know how it goes.
"Just add a comment to the PR and I'll get to it" - this couldn't have come at a better time! Struggling with some PR issues on the team and I have a feeling async fixation may be playing a role..
Well at least you're not alone! I'd be interested to hear what you try to counteract this tendency (that's only going to grow with the prevalence of remote work, IMHO).