The Engineering Method That Helps Reduce Cognitive Overload |
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Every month, Molly has to write a large report that takes around five hours. Every month, she dreads it.
Recently, she learned a technique that has helped her no longer feel like the task hangs over her. The task is still exhausting, but the anticipation of it doesn't add an extra layer of fatigue like it used to.
"Pair programming" is a social, collaborative way of working where two people sit at one workstation and solve a single problem together.
The core technique is incredibly valuable for many types of work, far beyond just programming or computer work. You can strip the word "programming" and think of it as any paired work.
Pair programming (or paired work) involves one person taking on the driver role and one the navigator role.
The driver is focused on the mechanical work. They're the hands and the close-in brain.
The navigator is watching, spotting errors, and thinking about the big picture.
Imagine "pair cooking," where the navigator reads the recipe and the driver assembles it. The navigator keeps an eye out for errors, like if the driver forgot to set a timer or reaches for a tablespoon instead of a teaspoon. The navigator makes big picture comments like "maybe we should check we have enough flour before we start" or "I remember the last time we made this recipe it was a bit dry. We should adjust it."
Another example: two psychologists writing a report or draft of a research paper, where one is typing and the other is gathering needed information and feeding it to the writer.
It might seem like paired work is two people doing work that could be done by one person, but the software engineering industry has found pair programming works out to be very efficient, based on a few factors.
It enhances concentration by making resisting distractions easier.
Errors get spotted and corrected earlier.
Different brains bring different skills and perspectives.
Long periods of stuckness are avoided, partly because being able to immediately talk through them helps yield solutions. For example, through either person asking clarifying questions.
Learning happens naturally, whether it's a more senior and junior person working together or peers who each bring their own expertise.
Being observed causes us to bring our A game, and be reflective on what we're doing.
Paired work helps reduce cognitive overload because each person can be more focused on their role, but since it requires communication, it uses up people's social batteries. You won't be able to do it all day.
When working on a task by yourself feels lonely or intimidating.
When you enjoy learning from how others do things.
When knowledge needs to be transmitted between senior and junior people on a team.
When a piece of work is cognitively dense. When a task is too big for one person to hold in their brain, e.g., because there are so many moving parts.
For physical tasks like constructing a structure where a second pair of hands or eyes is really helpful, and the navigator can jump into that role at points as well.
When you're having trouble focusing and need support and accountability.
When you prefer to connect with others through a shared activity.
Does It Result in Shallower Engagement with the Task?
You might wonder whether splitting the roles results in each person being less deeply engaged with the work, but that doesn't tend to happen. Still, be mindful and address it if it does.
Generally, each person should feel more deeply engaged with the aspects they're in charge of versus if their attention was split.
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Using AI as Your Coworker
If you want to work with someone, that "someone" can be an AI tool. Depending on the work, you might be the navigator supervising the AI and stopping it from doing things that don't make sense, or you might be the driver.
Paired Work as a Support Structure
Molly, our opening character, finds it most helpful to write her monthly report with a colleague during months when her mental health is not at its best.
Since she'll be going on parental leave soon, she knows her organization will also benefit from the knowledge her colleague has built up from their involvement in the task.
Paired programming offers a template for paired work that you can adapt in creative ways. For example, it might only be phases of projects you need a partner for. You might work with a pair only for beginnings, due to the high demands of planning and starting, or endings when you're running out of steam.
As with all my advice, take the core of it, and the elements that most appeal to you, and create specific procedures that meet your needs and are achievable with your resources and constraints.