Team Topologies Conference: Practical Solutions for Cognitive Load

Fast Flow Conference is all about improving teamwork and workflows in software development, using ideas from the book "Team Topologies.” 

Are you finding it hard to do more with the same number of people? 

Then this talk, part of the Team Topologies Conference organised by Armakuni, will show how to handle cognitive overload in teams. 

You’ll know practical ways to spot cognitive overload in your teams and adjust workflows. By doing so, you can boost delivery and create room for team members to grow. 

Understanding burnout and cognitive load

Burnout is a big issue in many workplaces. 62% of people often face burnout, and 89% feel their work-life balance is getting worse. Some key factors adding to burnout are:

• Deadlines: Frequent changes, lack of visibility, and arbitrary dates.
• Communication practices: Frequent interruptions, constant meetings, and poor communication.
• Severe data cascades: Working with incorrect information for too long.
• Interrupted contributions: Unfinished tasks and a growing workload.

Managing cognitive load with Team Topologies

Cognitive load refers to the mental effort needed to handle tasks. Team Topologies can help manage this load. Cognitive load breaks into three types:

• Intrinsic cognitive load: Effort needed to solve the immediate task.
• Extraneous cognitive load: Factors in the work environment affecting performance.
• Germane cognitive load: Specific aspects of tasks needing special attention.

The talk highlights strategies to manage these loads effectively:

• Simplify intrinsic load: Train staff, choose the right technology, and keep documentation clear.
• Minimise extraneous load: Delegate tasks, use platform groups or Golden Paths, and cut unnecessary features.
• Maximise domain load: Focus on tasks that are complex and give a business edge.

Practical activities and case studies

Several activities can help manage cognitive load:

• Day-One commit drill: New team members should be able to make a commit to production on their first day.
• Core domain charting: Identify work that’s both complex and unique to your business.
• Team cognitive load assessment: A new tool to measure cognitive load in teams.
• Pairing and mobbing: Collaborative programming techniques to reduce individual cognitive load.
• Inception phase: Set clear goals and define non-goals to stay focused.

A case study from RES, a renewable energy company, shows how these ideas work in practice.

RES case study: Applying cognitive load management

• Team reorganisation: RES restructured from one large team into smaller, independent teams to manage scaling and complexity.
• API mandate: Implemented an API mandate for seamless communication between teams, reducing cognitive load and improving integration.
• Focus on core domains: Prioritised critical, business-essential tasks to manage complexity and optimise performance.
• Improved efficiency: The new structure led to better productivity and job satisfaction by reducing cognitive load on individuals.

Armakuni experts help businesses manage cognitive load by refining team structures and workflows. Through consulting, engineering coaching, and hands-on implementation, Armakuni ensures teams are well-trained and equipped with the right tools to streamline processes and reduce burnout. This approach builds a high-performance engineering culture and accelerates product delivery.

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