Scrum is one of the modern approaches to project management that aim to optimize the amount of work done within a time frame. It is not uncommon for a team to work on several tasks simultaneously in an attempt to avoid being idle (Sutherland, 2014). Moreover, such behavior might be rewarded as it may be seen as a valuable skill. However, Sutherland explains how this ‘juggling’ is dangerous to a project’s workflow (Sutherland, 2014). He argues that the opposite is true, providing essential insight into project management for future Scrum masters and team members. In this paper, I will explain why I am interested in the section of chapter five that highlights the dangers of multitasking and how researching this topic can help me in my future career.
It might appear that a person who is able to reach several goals simultaneously does more than someone who only works on a single one. In my experience, people who are able to multitask are highly sought after in today’s job market. I must admit that my interest in this chapter was sparked when the opening statement was the opposite of what I had expected. Despite the implications, doing more jobs at the same time is far from optimal time management. Sutherland’s comparison of brain switching between tasks among lobes with a person or a team working on multiple projects has piqued my interest (Sutherland, 2014). This example clearly reveals the waste of time stemming from jumping between different tasks without finishing previous ones, as a portion of one’s attention remains stuck on an inactive topic. Working on a single project exclusively, even when there are other active tasks present, reduces the time spent on that particular job by half (Sutherland, 2014). Judging by the author’s arguments, I will need to revise my approach to project management.
Scrum is ultimately the opposite of traditional management strategies. It requires one to strictly follow priorities that help an organization prevent unnecessary expenditures (Sutherland, 2014). By researching this idea further, I will get closer to taking on the role of a manager for a project that uses Scrum in pursuit of greater efficiency. I think that I will be able to incorporate Scrum in my future projects with ease once I am able to convince others of the necessity to remain focused on a single task. In my current understanding, instead of choosing what project to work on, teams must organize their workflow in a way so a single job can be finished without making people want to switch from it. Despite the perceived benefits of jumping to a different project, a team must clearly understand the detrimental impact of such a decision and explaining it can save me many hours wasted on unimportant goals.
In conclusion, multitasking often plays a detrimental role in project management, as it leads to a significant waste of time. It is vital to understand this notion since the dangers of such an approach might not be clear. Multitasking gives only an illusion of high efficiency while, in fact, it only wastes time. I believe that ensuring that only a single project is active at a time can benefit my future career. As highlighted by Jeff Sutherland, Scrum saves organizations valuable resources and frees countless hours with its optimization strategies.
Reference
Sutherland, J. (2014). Scrum: The art of doing twice the work in half the time. Random House.