Attention is the budget.
Every team has a limited daily supply of focused attention. Meetings, pings and task switching all spend it, usually without anyone approving the spend.
Invest
Deep Work
“This moves the outcome.”
- Design, coding, analysis, writing
- Needs long, unbroken blocks
- Where the real value is made
Spend
Collaboration
“This keeps us aligned.”
- Reviews, planning, 1:1s
- Necessary, but never free
- Worth it when it has a purpose
Leak
Fragmentation
“Quick question…”
- Pings, switching, status chasing
- Small drips, big daily total
- Nobody ever budgets for it
Source: ACM Digital Library ↗
Budget attention like money.