I posted a version of this on a blog long since defunct. Some readers found it useful, so here is a lightly modified version.
A few months ago a conversation with my dad helped me to think differently about managing work—the projects, the teaching, the writing, the research, and all of the administration that goes along with that.
I grew up on a farm (drive-by picture below), and was curious as to how he has been able keep track of all the things going on over the years—planting crops, harvesting crops, managing livestock, having employees, conducting maintenance, taking on additional tasks when my grandfather (the other main set of hands) is away, etc. It’s often the case that several these things can be happening at the same time.
When I asked about this, the response amounted to, “well, you get to see what’s going on every day, so it’s pretty hard to miss things”. That was a lightbulb moment.
There is serious efficiency to be found in passive visibility of the lay of the land, and the low-friction feedback that goes with that. For that reason, seeing the farm has become a useful metaphor for evaluating the way I go about my own day-to-day efforts.
Basically, if I can’t take a quick drive down the paddock, glance around, and know what’s what, I need to find a way to make the right things more visible.