The hidden costs of context switching and how to reduce them

Software engineers do their best work when they can focus. Writing good code, solving complex problems, and making thoughtful design decisions require deep concentration. But in many teams, focus is constantly disrupted by context switching. One moment, an engineer is working on a feature, then a bug comes in that needs immediate attention. Just as they get back into the feature, a meeting interrupts them. Later, a product manager asks for a quick estimate on something completely different. By the end of the day, progress feels slow because so much time was spent switching tasks rather than making meaningful progress.

Context switching is one of the biggest hidden productivity killers in engineering teams. It creates delays, increases mistakes, and leads to frustration. Yet, many companies do not realize how much time is lost because of it.

What is context switching and why does it happen?

Context switching happens when engineers are forced to shift between multiple tasks, projects, or responsibilities in a short period. Every time they switch, their brain needs time to adjust. The deeper the work, the longer it takes to regain focus.

This happens for many reasons. Some teams juggle multiple projects at once, forcing engineers to split their time between different priorities. Others have frequent interruptions from bug reports, support requests, or last-minute feature changes.

Unstructured workflows, unclear priorities, and excessive meetings also contribute to constant task switching.

The hidden costs of context switching

Many teams underestimate the real impact of context switching. It does not just slow engineers down. It affects the quality of their work and their overall engagement.

First, cognitive load increases. Every time an engineer switches tasks, they need to reload mental context. If a developer is working on a complex feature and suddenly needs to fix a production bug, their brain has to shift focus entirely. When they return to the feature, it takes time to remember where they left off. Multiply this across a work week, and a lot of time is lost just trying to regain focus.

Second, quality suffers. Rapid switching leads to more mistakes because engineers are not fully immersed in any one task. Important details get missed, and debugging becomes harder when the mental model of the system keeps getting interrupted.

Velocity also drops. Tasks that should take hours stretch across days because they are constantly being interrupted. Engineers may have multiple tasks “in progress” but struggle to complete them efficiently.

Finally, context switching creates frustration. Engineers enjoy solving problems and making progress. But when their workflow is constantly interrupted, they feel like they are not producing anything meaningful. Over time, this can lead to burnout.

Strategies to reduce context switching

One of the best ways to reduce context switching is to limit work in progress (WIP). The fewer tasks an engineer has to juggle, the better they can focus.

Batching similar work together also helps. If a developer needs to review multiple pull requests, doing them all in one session is far more efficient than scattering them throughout the day.

Similarly, handling administrative tasks, like answering emails or planning discussions, in dedicated time blocks reduces the number of mental shifts.

Clear priorities are essential. Engineers should not have to guess what is most important. If priorities change constantly, teams will always be in reaction mode instead of making steady progress. A structured backlog, clear sprint goals, and proper planning reduce unnecessary task switching.

Minimizing unnecessary meetings is another way to protect deep work. Every meeting interrupts an engineer’s workflow, and it takes time to regain focus afterward. Not all meetings are avoidable, but scheduling them in blocks, keeping them short, and questioning whether they are truly needed can help.

How Kanban teams can struggle with context switching

Some teams move from Scrum to Kanban to gain more flexibility, hoping to avoid the rigid structure of sprints. But many forget that Kanban is not just about having a board. It is also about controlling work in progress (WIP). Without clear rules limiting how many tasks can be worked on at the same time, Kanban can lead to even more context switching.

Kanban works best when it has strict WIP limits. These limits prevent the team from taking on too many tasks at once. The number of tickets in progress should be based on team capacity, often calculated in relation to the number of developers and QA testers.

Without these limits, engineers end up with multiple in-progress tasks, jumping between them as priorities shift. This creates the same problem Kanban was supposed to solve. Having a board does not fix context switching if engineers are constantly interrupted. A good Kanban system ensures that engineers finish tasks before starting new ones, reducing the mental overhead of unfinished work.

What engineering managers can do to protect their teams

Engineering managers play a critical role in reducing context switching. One of the most important things they can do is shield engineers from unnecessary distractions. This means managing external demands from stakeholders, limiting last-minute changes, and ensuring that engineers are not overloaded with competing priorities.

They should also be empowered to push back when leadership or product teams introduce too many priorities at once. If everything is a priority, nothing is. Engineering managers should work closely with product managers to make sure that work is structured in a way that allows engineers to focus.

Encouraging deep work time is another way managers can help. Setting aside blocks of time where engineers can work without interruptions leads to better focus and productivity. This could mean keeping certain parts of the day meeting-free or creating an environment where messaging apps and notifications are not pulling engineers away from their work constantly. Having a rotating “on-call” engineer also can help the others to focus during deep work time.

Sprint planning should also be optimized to prevent mid-sprint shifts. If engineers are frequently being pulled into new work that was not planned at the beginning of the sprint, the process is broken. Managers need to ensure that once sprint commitments are made, they are respected.

Focus is a competitive advantage

The best engineering teams are not the ones that juggle the most tasks at once. They are the ones that protect their focus, work efficiently, and deliver high-quality results.

Reducing context switching does not just make engineers happier. It leads to better code, faster development cycles, and fewer mistakes. Engineering managers need to create an environment where focus is protected, not constantly disrupted.

If your team is struggling with slow progress, inconsistent quality, or frustrated developers, context switching might be the hidden cause. Fixing it is not just about working harder, it is about working smarter.

*** Edit ***

I recently connected with John Poyser, Sr Director at Codezero Technologies in Vancouver. He wrote a great article about context switching and he also built this calculator that can help Engineering Manager to estimate the cost of context switching, thus having great argument to discuss it with non-engineering collaborators and advocate for better engineering practices.