Popcorn tasks

A term that originated in my previous job at Propeller Aero. It is the name given to the stream of random high priority tasks that pop up out of nowhere.

They are unplanned tasks that suddenly demand attention and often bypass the usual prioritization process.

Imagine

You're deep in coding a new feature when the CEO pings you: 'Can you quickly fix the broken link on the homepage?' Or, you're about to start a planned ticket when a critical bug report comes in that 'needs immediate attention.'

These are the classic popcorn tasks – unexpected, often urgent, and seemingly unavoidable. They disrupt your carefully planned workflow and force you to context-switch, impacting both your focus and overall productivity. While a few popcorn tasks are a natural part of any dynamic work environment, a constant barrage can lead to frustration, burnout, and ultimately, a decrease in team efficiency.

The tolerance level to popcorn tasks will differ from person to person and team to team.

How do you know you've hit the popcorn task threshold?

It's that feeling of dread when another "urgent" request comes in. Instead of thinking, "Sure, I can help," you start to feel your blood pressure rise. Maybe you even sigh internally. That's your cue. One or two popcorn tasks a sprint are often manageable, but if they become a daily disruption, or if they're taking up more than, say, 15% of your team's sprint capacity, it's a sign you need a process change.

When you hit this point, it's time to take action.

One effective strategy in an agile setting is to collate each issue in a ticket in a backlog, estimate the effort, then have the conversation about trading some committed work for now higher priority work.

This has a few benefits:

Reduces stress

Knowing that the workload is balanced, even if the tasks change, helps the team feel more in control and less overwhelmed.

Visibility

Bringing these hidden tasks into the light allows everyone to see the true workload and understand why certain projects might be taking longer than expected. It also helps justify requests for more resources if needed.

Forced prioritization:

The act of creating a ticket and estimating the effort forces a discussion. Is this really a 'drop everything' issue, or can it wait? This process helps prevent the 'loudest voice' from always dictating priorities

So, if you're feeling the pressure of constant interruptions and your team's sprint capacity is being devoured by popcorn tasks, give this backlog approach a try. It might seem like extra overhead at first, but the benefits – reduced stress, increased visibility, and better prioritization – are well worth the effort.