How to work within LS314

Last Updated: 06.08.2024

Author: Lukasz Sliwinski

Version: 0.0.1

1. Overview

Purpose:

The purpose of this document is to specify working procedures within the LS314 project. It provides a detailed guide on how to manage tasks and projects, track progress, and ensure that goals are met efficiently.

Scope:

LS314 Team Members

Prerequisites:

Knowledge of the GetThingsDone methodology and basic project management concepts.

2. Procedure

Step 1: Project and Task Management

Description: The LS314 projects is composed of sub-projects and tasks. The progress of the projects and the tasks has to be tracked in a single place i.e. the WorkManagement.md file that is located in the root of the LS314 project.

The WorkManagement.md file is divided into two main sections: Inbox for work and Projects and tasks.

Inbox for work is a list of tasks that are not yet assigned to any project. It is a place where new tasks are added before they are assigned to a specific project - these can be observations, ideas and tasks connected to the project.

Projects and tasks is a list of projects and tasks that are currently being worked on. Each project is divided into tasks and sub-tasks. Each task is marked whether it is done or not. The tasks can be divided into sub-tasks if necessary.

Example of WorkManagement.md:

# Work management

...

## Inbox

Surycate - Change to Pexpect Frameworks - Plan goals and next steps Work
management - Plan goals and next steps

## Projects and tasks

### Surycate

1. Change the execution to pexpect
   1. Modify the development to run on WSL
   2. Install Pexpect
   3. Write a scratch to experiment with pexpect
   4. Implement a new Shell class using Pexpect
   5. Write the tests for the new Shell class
2. Plan goals and next steps 1. Define the goals for the project 2. Break down
   the goals into tasks 3. Set deadlines for the tasks ...

The WorkManagement.md file should be opened when working on the LS314 project and updated whenever something changes or a new task is added.

Every week, the WorkManagement.md file should be reviewed to ensure that the tasks are up-to-date and that the progress is being made. If possible, the tasks should be marked with the deadlines.

Step 2: Prepare for the Weekly cycle.

Description: Having written down the tasks to be done, if not already done while reviewing the WorkManagement.md file, the tasks should be added a priority and put into the weekly plan with division between the days. The weekly plan should be created on Monday morning. The division of tasks should exclude Friday as it is a day for reviewing the week and finishing the tasks that were not completed. Each day of the week should have a minimum number of hours dedicated to the LS314 project - each day should also focus on possibly single project or task so that the focus is not lost. The weekly plan should be put into the WorkManagement.md file in a Week [dd.mm.yyyy - dd.mm.yyyy] section. If the weekly plan does not exist, create one in the WorkManagement.md file.

Given the weekly plan, put in the hours for work in the calendar.

Example of Weekly Plan:

## Week [01.01.2024 - 07.01.2024]

### Monday

1. Surycate - Change the execution to pexpect
   - Modify the development to run on WSL - 15 mins
   - Install Pexpect - 15 mins
   - Write a scratch to experiment with pexpect - 30 mins
   - Implement a new Shell class using Pexpect - 1 hour
   - Write the tests for the new Shell class - 1 hour

Total hours: 3

### Tuesday

...

Step 3: Daily Work

Description: Each day, the tasks from the weekly plan should be executed. The tasks should be marked as done in the WorkManagement.md file. If the task is not completed, it should be moved to the future day - this should be reflected in the weekly plan.

  • At the start of the day, the weekly plan should be used so set the day tasks that can be put in the planner. The tasks should be also put in the calendar into blocks that are divisible by 30 minutes.

  • When starting the task, just do it - do not think about it too much. If the task is too big to comprehend, break it down into smaller tasks and just do them.

  • Remember: motivation to work comes from working - not from thinking about working.

  • The working should follow the pomodoro technique - 25 minutes of work and 5 minutes of rest. After 4 pomodoros, take a longer break - 15-30 minutes. Then repeat the cycle.

  • When tired, motivate yourselfs with some rewards after some specified tasks are done. This will help you start and be efficient with the tasks at hand.

  • Beware of the distractions - put the phone away, close the browser tabs that are not necessary. If you are having problems with procrastination, you can try asking colleagues to help and give you the sense of accountability.

Step 4: Weekly Review

After each work week, on Friday, the weekly plan should be reviewed. The tasks that were not completed should be done on Friday if possible. If not, they should be moved to the next week and the weekly plan should be updated. The WorkManagement.md file can be updated with the new weekly plan. The old weekly plan can be archived in a separate folder with an appropriate name.

You are encouraged to write a short summary of the week - what went well, what went wrong, what can be improved. This will help you to see the progress and to improve the work process. A good idea is to track the number of hours worked and ensure that the minimum number of hours is met. At the same time, do not look at the hours only but also at the results. The minimum number of hours should be met but the quality of work is more important.

3. Examples

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4. Troubleshooting

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5. References

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6. Appendices

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7. Feedback

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