
Ask HN: How to handle a boss/owner who has ADD task focus? - codingstuffs
I work for a small startup where my boss and the owner are the same person. The issue is that whenever they think of a task or see a problem, that becomes #1 priority (despite the level of impact&#x2F;severity, or if I am working on something else that was assigned).<p>This is very wearing, as I have to switch focus often to something that doesn&#x27;t matter that much, and often my boss forgets about afterwards. Any discussion about prioritization he takes as challenging his authority, and becomes upset and dismissive. It feels like I have no input, and am just a machine to do tasks.<p>Is there a better way I should be dealing with this situation? Has anyone else been in the same situation and learned how to handle it better?
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dfeojm-zlib
Adopt strict GTD task stacks available for others to see:

\- Current task(s)

\- Immediate next queue (priority adjustments, new items can be added by boss)

\- Deferred items

\- Delegated items

\- Medium-term items

\- Long-term items

Some task app(s) can help with this. If you want people to know you're working
on real stuff, ask for a big cheap monitor and cheap tiny PC/RPi to present
your "dashboard."

To handle the OP's exact example:

X: current task

Y: proposed new task

 _" Do you want X done first, or do you want me to pause X and switch to Y?"_

GTD -> [https://gettingthingsdone.com](https://gettingthingsdone.com)

At times, people with ADD need a linear, focused "turtle" to counterbalance
nonlinear, "rabbit" task-hopping.

Disclaimer: I take clonidine and strattera.

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codingslave
It's really hard to change people, either go work somewhere else, or tell him
you need some kind of task tracking system in JIRA.

~~~
codingstuffs
Probably will end up having to change jobs - I suppose asking for a task
tracking system to use in the meantime couldn't hurt though. Appreciate the
suggestion.

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shoo
i agree that using a task tracking system (JIRA, trello, github issues,
whatever) is a good idea, if only to help you remember how far you got doing a
thing before you got task-switched, and to help provide evidence of why things
might not be getting done efficiently.

some of this can be mitigated by having more people involved, if that is a
possibility. so there is a layer shielding you from the owner's direct
involvement, and so your boss is different to the owner, and the owner is
treated like an eager but somewhat difficult client.

suppose someone is hired or is willing to sacrifice themselves to act as team
lead. the team lead's main job is managing the owner to get clear priorities,
and shielding the dev team from being micromanaged.

You can probably improve things by _reducing_ how agile and responsive your
current dev process is to changes in priorities at the whim of the owner,
since the owner is currently not giving effective direction.

You can reduce agility and responsiveness in this context by introducing a
capital-A agile process, such as Scrum. E.g. Start doing 2 week sprints. You
and your colleagues are willing to completely change your priorities based on
the latest whims/priorities/requirements of the owner, but only at the start
of each sprint when you are committing to which tasks you plan to do.

If you have someone willing to play team lead or scrum master, they need to be
on call all the time to shield the dev team from the owner's latest attempt to
task switch or change priorities during a sprint. The owner's concerns and
priorities are always important, and can be raised at any time, and the team
lead listens carefully and helps the owner spec them into tickets in the issue
tracker, and consider their priority. at the start of the next 2 week sprint
cycle the owner and team lead and team sit together and agree on what is the
highest priority, and how much work to attempt to commit to.

All that said

> Any discussion about prioritization he takes as challenging his authority,
> and becomes upset and dismissive

this is not a positive sign. it is usually a good idea to be interviewing and
cultivating other opportunities for work. if you are early in your career and
now have a bit of experience, you might also get a decent pay rise out of it.
consider joining an org that isn't a startup -- some mature small/medium
business, or a larger org that has a more professional work culture and has
some understanding of management.

~~~
codingstuffs
Thanks for the reply - adding a better task tracking system is something that
I'll look at adding immediately (if only just for myself).

> some of this can be mitigated by having more people involved

This is definitely a good point - we really are missing some sort of lead or
manager to filter things for the devs.

> consider joining an org that isn't a startup -- some mature small/medium
> business, or a larger org that has a more professional work culture and has
> some understanding of management.

This is something I have come to appreciate during this process, and after you
mentioned it, I do think working at a startup might just not be for me and my
personality.

I really appreciate all the points you made - I think now I have some good
steps to go forward with.

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andrei_says_
Track your tasks and ask him if the new task has the highest priority. If
sincerity is an option, inform him of the cost of interruptions when someone
is doing deep work. Propose a system for following up on and completing tasks.

~~~
codingstuffs
I like the idea of asking if the new task is top priority.

At the end of the day what he says goes, so if it really is what he wants,
better to make it clear, and then say, ok, I will then prioritize the new Task
B instead of Task A and set expectations.

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JohnnyHero
You are referring to a common characteristic of entrepreneurial types.
Depending on how self aware they are, you might be able to discuss things
directly as they come up. You might frame things like this "I hear you telling
me to give this new project my immediate attention, does that mean you wish me
to deprioritize my current projects A, B & C?". A lot of times that context
will jolt the owners brain and cause a reassessment.

On this flip side, this type of owner is often self obsorbed and unable to get
perspective. These types will rarely be responsive to immediate feedback that
counters their pet project. It is best to circle back at the end of the day
and approach with a question of how they would solve the problem you have with
prioritizing existing projects. Most people are able to "get real" about
expectations after the inital heat of the idea has a chance to mature. I'd
frame the discussion like this "Here are the challenges i've discovered while
executing your new project, I need your input on how to solve or overcome some
of these issues." When the owner is faced with the various hurdles that have
to be overcome he/she may reassess the importance of the original project. On
the other hand, don't create roadblocks just because you don't like the
project, as it will be obvious and may cause them too decide that you are not
the employee they thought you were.

relationships are difficult lol. however since you are an employee, it is your
job to perform the duties given whether you like them or not. So either be a
contributor or move on...

