The Productive Workshop: When to Clean, and When to Saw?

I live in two worlds.

One is the world of code and complex system architectures, where I work as a Software Manager and Solution Architect. The other is the world of wood, the smell of varnish, and the hum of power tools in my workshop, where I pursue my passion and hobby. These two worlds—one virtual, one physical; one professional, one a passion—seem vastly different, yet they've taught me the exact same core lesson about productivity.

In my workshop, starting a new piece of furniture means embracing controlled chaos. Wood dust, tools, and raw timber are scattered about. But within this chaos, there's an unwritten rule: anything that blocks a pathway or poses an immediate safety risk must be cleared instantly. A stray power cord across the floor, a sharp wood offcut on the way to the planer... these are top cleaning priorities. However, I won't stop a critical cut just to sweep up all the fine dust on the floor. That "deep clean" is a serious commitment, but it's reserved for the end of the day.

My IT work is exactly the same. My "workshop" is Atlassian Jira, architectural diagrams, and lines of code. And every day, I face the same fundamental choice: do I start "sawing," or do I start "cleaning"?

Many of us choose to "clean." We spend hours tweaking a Jira workflow, re-categorizing labels, or designing the "perfect" dashboard. We look incredibly busy. But is this "clearing a stray power cord from the path," or is it "wiping away fine dust" to delay having to pick up the saw?

The Trap of Fake Perfection

The appeal of "cleaning" the system is undeniable. It provides an instant dopamine hit, a feeling of progress. This is the "productivity trap": we become infatuated with managing the work instead of actually doing the work. We spend so much time sharpening the axe that we have no time left to cut down the tree.

In the workshop, if I only ever cleaned and organized, I'd end the day with a spotless space but no finished furniture. Similarly, if we only focus on making a Jira board look "tidy," we can end a sprint with a perfect dashboard but no valuable features delivered.

A Balanced Perspective: The System Isn't the Enemy

Of course, to take a one-sided view and say tools like Jira are useless would be a mistake. For a Project Manager, curating the Jira board and ensuring tasks are updated is their core job. For a large team, a well-organized system is the backbone of collaboration.

The problem lies not in the act of "cleaning" itself, but in the intent, the role, and the duration. The trap is set when an individual whose primary responsibility is to "saw" and create the product spends too much time "tidying the workshop."

The View from a Software Manager & Solution Architect: What's My "Stray Power Cord"?

My role is different from a Project Manager's. If a PM focuses on "who does what by when," a Software Manager (SM) or Solution Architect (SA) is concerned with "how to do it right" and "what the big picture looks like."

My real "sawing" involves:

• As an SA: Shaping the architectural framework. Making foundational technical decisions that allow the system to be scalable and sustainable. This is "designing the blueprints" and "cutting the main load-bearing beams" for the house.
• As an SM: Removing blockers for the team. Unclogging communication channels. Ensuring technical quality and providing direction for engineers. This is "making sure everyone has good tools and knows how to use them safely."

So, what is my unnecessary "cleaning"? It's when I get lost in micro-managing individual tasks in a team member's sprint, or when I spend hours perfecting a diagram down to the last pixel while the core decision remains unmade.

Conversely, the "stray power cords" that I must prioritize clearing are:

• A piece of critical "technical debt" that is slowing the entire team down.
• An ambiguous architectural decision that has engineers confused about which path to take.
• An underlying conflict or misunderstanding between two team members that is impacting progress.

My priority isn't task management; it's resolving the bottlenecks—be they technical, architectural, or human.

The Decisive Question

In the end, whether you're an engineer, a manager, or a creator, true productivity isn't a war against tools. It's a constant dialogue with yourself.

My goal is not a perpetually spotless workshop or a perfect Jira board, but quality furniture and robust software products.

The next time you open your management tool and feel the urge to "clean," pause for a second and ask yourself the question from my workshop:

"Is this action about 'clearing a stray power cord from the path' to enable the real work, or is it simply a way to 'delay picking up the saw'?"

Your honest answer to that question, not any tool or methodology, is the most reliable compass for a truly effective and meaningful day.