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Ask HN: How to deal with memory/cognition slowing down as an engineering leader?

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Ask HN: How to deal with memory/cognition slowing down as an engineering leader?

#1

Post by cogthrow »

I work in engineering management. In recent years I've noticed my memory has become a bit worse, and I'm feeling generally less sharp cognitively than I once was. I don't think this is anything pathological; it's not that severe - I think it's largely due to a combination of ageing and a chronic lack of sleep during this time.

Due to this, I'm finding myself in situations where my memory just fails me, in discussions where I really need to be on top of the details. And, while I've never been great at making decisions quickly, nowadays it's taking longer than ever.

Given some more time, I still have the knowledge and judgement to be make good decisions. But it is affecting how I do my job, and (I believe) how people perceive me in my role.

I wonder if anyone else here has experience with problems like this, and if so, whether anyone has any advice on things that could help. For example, I'm finding I need to take much more detailed notes. Tips along these lines would be welcome.

Re: Ask HN: How to deal with memory/cognition slowing down as an engineering leader?

#2

Post by DamonHD »

You may be overthinking / part imagining it: self-calibration is hard.

And in any case experience is as useful as raw ability in getting things done.

I'm now ancient (late 50s) and recently had to step away from my start-up as CTO since we sold the IPR, but instead I am doing a part-time PhD (just had my first paper published) and may become a fractional CTO for a friend's business. For the last I won't be racing the tech staff on coding speed or code performance, but I think that decades of delivering such stuff can help them do it and get credit for it.

Re: Ask HN: How to deal with memory/cognition slowing down as an engineering leader?

#3

Post by sirspacey »

Sleep is the key. Repeated lack of sleep has an extreme impact on cognition and memory retrieval.

A few things that have helped me:

#1 sleep in a completely dark room. A specialist MD shared this insight with me and it changed my life. I also use an eye mask and white noise machine.

#2 use a call recording tool on your internal meetings that can summarize notes. Being able to go back “in time” to a call often has enabled me to reload the entire interaction just watching a few min of the call.

#3 rely on your team. As a leader you get the benefit of the doubt that you are covering a lot, so I’ve made a ritual of just asking people to restate our last interaction and where they are at now with any updates. Again, simple thing but helps trigger my memory

Good luck!

Re: Ask HN: How to deal with memory/cognition slowing down as an engineering leader?

#4

Post by beardyw »

Delegate more.

People mostly like to take responsibility. For decisions, let someone else offer up the potential solutions. Make someone else your memory. Its a very important part of management because it develops you and them. For technical people it is hard because we see the detail as the part we like most. Let someone else enjoy it.

PS. You can't delegate responsibility! That's abdication.

Re: Ask HN: How to deal with memory/cognition slowing down as an engineering leader?

#5

Post by helph67 »

"You are more likely to remember something if you read it out loud, a study has found" https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/12/171201090940.h...

"It turns out, any walk outdoors has the potential to unlock our brains" https://lithub.com/on-the-link-between-great-thinking-and-ob...

"Older adults who consumed cranberries frequently as part of their diet saw improvements in episodic memory, neural function, and brain perfusion" https://neurosciencenews.com/cranberries-memory-dementia-206...

Re: Ask HN: How to deal with memory/cognition slowing down as an engineering leader?

#7

Post by technofiend »

If you are male check your testosterone levels; lowered T can allegedly cause a decline in cognition. Here's a link to an NIH citation rather than any woo woo sources, but still up to you to decide. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8591394/

Re: Ask HN: How to deal with memory/cognition slowing down as an engineering leader?

#8

Post by hnthrowaway0328 »

Did you have a child birth? This event was the biggest source of my fading interest in programming and fading health.

Regardless, I'd recommend taking more notes and set up 15 mins before and after work to go over them. I'd also recommend using a paper notebook in supplement of an electronic one as you can spontaneously put down some notes on paper.

Re: Ask HN: How to deal with memory/cognition slowing down as an engineering leader?

#10

Post by hnthrowaway0328 »

sirspacey wrote: post #3

Sleep is the key. Repeated lack of sleep has an extreme impact on cognition and memory retrieval. A few things that have helped me: #1 sleep in a completely dark room. A specialist MD shared this insight with me and it changed my life. I also use an eye mask and white noise machine. #2 use a call recording tool on your internal meetings that can summarize notes. Being able to go back “in time” to a call often has ena…

I agree. Sleep dictates everything else. It's so difficult to get a good night of sleep, though. There are too many impacting factors. And wearing masks/earphones are usually uncomfortable.
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