Peopleware – Productive Projects and Teams
By Tom DeMarco and Timothy Lister
This is a very useful book for people who
are managing technically creative teams of people. It originated in the
experience of the authors in software project management, but many of its
insights can also be applied for scientists, engineers, technologists,
technical designers etc. It is now in a third edition.
On page 63 they define “flow”:
A condition of deep, nearly meditative
involvement. In this state there is a gentle sense of euphoria, and one
is largely unaware of the passage of time: ‘I began to work, I looked
up and three hours had passed.’ There is no consciousness of effort;
the work seems to well, flow.
Not all work roles require that you attain
a state of flow in order to be productive, but for anyone involved with
engineering, design, development, writing, or like tasks, flow is a
must. These are high momentum tasks. It’s only when you’re in flow
that the work goes well.
Image Copyright M.G. Reed 2020
