A Product Manager’s job is full of distractions. From support issues to pressing Team questions, the day can fly by with time only spent on what’s “urgent” rather than what’s “important.” It can be especially difficult for a new Product Manager to control the constant interruptions as their prior role was likely not interrupt-driven. It’s thus important to help a new Product Manager learn techniques that can help them be efficient with their day. Pomodoro is one such excellent technique, and a great one for you to either learn along with a new Product Manager or a simple method to teach them.
The Pomodoro Technique offers a simple approach to creating space in your day for dedicated focus on important items. A Pomodoro is 25 minutes of uninterrupted time, followed by a 5 minute break. Of course you must defend the Pomodoro from distraction by turning off your computer’s notification (Mac’s “Do Not Disturb” feature is great) and silencing your phone. You then set a timer, either physical or on your computer, for 25 minutes and get to work. You don’t get up for a coffee, you don’t check your email, and you don’t change your Pandora station. You just focus on the task you’ve assigned yourself until it’s done. If an interruption occurs, such as someone coming to your desk, you ask them kindly if you can get back to them at your next break (up to 25 minutes from now). If you tell them that you need to focus on an important piece of work and will get back to them shortly, they’ll understand. And if something truly urgent and important comes up, you cancel your Pomodoro to handle it, but you get no credit for your partial Pomodoro.
When the 25 minute Pomodoro is done, give yourself a pat on the back, and take a break from your computer. Get up, stretch, grab a drink and use the bathroom. Then come on back and sit down for you next Pomodoro. Practice makes perfect, and one of the key rules for Pomodoro is “The next Pomodoro will go better.” When first learning the technique try it out during a time that naturally less filled with interruptions to get in the habit.
For your timer, some folks like a physical kitchen timer as they love the feel of winding the clock. You can’t easily cancel a kitchen timer, and they find the quiet tick-tick of the clock soothing. For me, I prefer a virtual timer as it’s quiet for my co-workers and I like to listen to music while I work. You can find many free options, and on Mac you can search the App Store for “Pomodoro” for many choices.
There’s much more to be covered to be effective on the Pomodoro technique, and I’ll cover advanced techniques in future posts. For now, this is all you need to get started, to give yourself 25 minutes of focused time in your day. Try it out and see how effective you can be with some Pomodoros. If you want to learn more now, check out this free 40 page PDF ebook.