Taking Breaks in a Disciplined Way
I worked with a team where everyone was trying to do pair-programming, but it was too hard for them. I asked what made it so hard, and they told me it was simply so exhausting. They were slumping in their seats by 10:30 in the morning, and by mid-afternoon, their productivity had plummeted. I looked around the room to see if everyone had the same experience. They all nodded their heads. This was the big problem that was plaguing them. I asked them how they were doing the pairing. They were forming up in pairs, and working all morning straight through without break. They went to lunch, and after lunch rejoined their partner and worked until quitting time. They really were sticking with the pairing, and I had to admire their dedication. They were working so hard to try to build great software and working so hard at pairing that I was deeply touched. But here is the problem, too. They were working too hard at it to be able to do it well. Biological Beings We are bio...