Focus Time

Overview

The Focus Time Report in Span is a calendar-based analytics tool that measures and visualizes the amount of uninterrupted "heads down" work time available to individuals and teams. It helps leadership understand how much time people have for deep, focused work versus time spent in meetings or fragmented between activities.

What is Focus Time?

Definition

Focus Time represents the amount of uninterrupted, deep work time available during a standard 8-hour workday. It measures the time available for concentrated work after removing meetings and fragmented time blocks.

How It's Calculated

Focus Time = 8 hours - Meeting Time - Fragmented Time

Fragmented Time

Fragmented time is any unscheduled time block less than 90 minutes between meetings. These gaps are considered too short for meaningful deep work.

• Default threshold: 90 minutes

• Configurable: Can be adjusted in Settings per organization

• Example: Three 15-minute gaps between meetings count as fragmented time, not focus time

Out-of-Office (OOO) Handling

• Focus time calculations exclude days marked as Out-of-Office

• Ensures metrics reflect actual working conditions

• Doesn't artificially deflate metrics during vacation or leave

OOO Data Source

In your Span settings, you can opt to pull OOO data from either:

1. Google calendar integration

   1. Note: OOO events must be marked as an OOO "type" event in Google calendar

2. HRIS integration

Accessing the Report

Navigation Paths

1. Organization Level

• Navigate to Insights > Productivity > Focus Time

• View aggregated focus time across the entire organization

2. Team/Group Level

• Select a specific team or group

• View focus time metrics for team members

• Filter by manager, IC level, or other dimensions

3. Individual Level

• Select a specific person

• View their focus time trends and meeting breakdown

• Compare against team benchmarks

4. Via Targets

• Navigate to Targets > Set Target

• Set a target around Meeting Time or Focus Time

Interpreting the Data

What Good Looks Like

Red Flags to Watch For

⚠ Low Focus Time (< 10 h/wk)

• Excessive meeting load

• Limited capacity for complex work

• Potential burnout risk

⚠ High Fragmentation (> 5 h/wk)

• Many small gaps between meetings

• Inefficient scheduling

• Difficulty achieving flow state

⚠ Declining Trends

• Focus time decreasing over time

• Meeting load increasing

• Potential process issues

Benchmarking Context

Percentile Rank: Compare individuals/teams against peer groups

• 75th percentile = Higher focus time than 75% of comparable roles

• Use appropriate filters (IC level, role) for meaningful comparisons

Expected Variations by Role:

• Managers: Naturally lower focus time (more meetings)

• Senior ICs: Often 10-15% lower focus time than junior ICs

• Individual Contributors: Should have 15-20+ h/wk

• Cross-functional roles: Naturally lower due to coordination needs

Available Filters

Meeting Breakdown Filters

• Meeting Attendee Range: 2, 3-5, 6-10, 11-20, 21-50, 50+

• Meeting Type: Recurring vs. ad-hoc, recruiting, etc.

Time Period Controls

• Date Range: Custom date range selector

• Time Granularity: Weekly (default) or Daily

• Comparison Period: "Compared To" for trend analysis

Use Cases

1. Engineering Leadership & Capacity Planning

Assess deep work capacity

• Identify if teams have adequate time for complex projects

• Understand realistic capacity for sprint commitments

• Detect individuals overloaded with meetings

Example: "Our team averages 12 h/wk focus time. Should we commit to this architectural refactor requiring deep work?"

2. Meeting Culture Improvement

Identify inefficiencies

• Find meeting-heavy teams

• Recognize patterns consuming focus time

• Surface scheduling inefficiencies (back-to-back meetings)

Example: "The Platform team has 6 h/wk fragmented time. Let's consolidate meetings into blocks."

3. Individual Productivity & Wellness

Burnout detection

• Low focus time + high meeting time = overcommitment

• Track whether meeting load is role-appropriate

• Data-driven justification for no-meeting blocks

Example: "Sarah has had < 8 h/wk focus time for 3 months. Let's review her meeting load."

4. Performance Analysis

Correlate with outcomes

• Link focus time to sprint completion rates

• Identify knowledge bottlenecks (people in too many meetings)

• Track whether senior ICs maintain adequate focus time

Example: "Teams with > 16 h/wk focus time have 25% fewer missed commitments."

5. Organizational Benchmarking

Best practice identification

• Find teams with healthy focus time patterns

• Compare meeting culture across functions

• Validate working norms policies

Example: "Teams using 'Core Focus Hours' have 20% more focus time than those without."

Important Limitations & Considerations

Data Dependencies

• Requires Calendar Integration: Focus time is 100% dependent on calendar sync

• Calendar Accuracy: Metrics only as good as calendar hygiene

• Private Events: Not counted (not visible to Span)

• OOO Marking: Relies on people marking out-of-office in calendars

Calculation Assumptions

⚠ 8-Hour Workday: Fixed regardless of actual hours

• Impact: Doesn't account for part-time or flex schedules

• Workaround: Interpret in context of actual work patterns

⚠ 90-Minute Fragmentation Threshold: One-size-fits-all default

• Impact: May not suit all work types

• Workaround: Customize in Settings

⚠ No Activity Validation: Based on calendar only

• Impact: Can't confirm focus time was used for deep work

• Workaround: Correlate with code commits, PR activity

Interpretation Cautions

1. Context Matters

• Managers should have lower focus time (it's role-appropriate)

• Don't compare across IC levels without filtering

• Consider project phases (launches naturally reduce focus time)

2. Meetings Aren't Always Bad

• Some collaboration is necessary

• Excessive meetings are concerning, but zero meetings indicate silos

• Look for balance, not elimination

3. Seasonal Variations Are Normal

• Launch periods: Lower focus time expected

• Hiring seasons: More recruiting meetings

• Quarterly planning: More strategic meetings

• Onboarding periods: Team disruption expected

4. Benchmarks Are Relative

• Percentiles depend on filtered cohort

• Industry benchmarks vary by company size and role

• Use peer comparison for internal decisions

Configuration Options

Adjusting Fragmented Time Threshold

Configuration

• Settings > Organization Calendar

• Settings > Metrics > Meeting Time

  • Default: 90 minutes

  • Recommended range: 60-120 minutes

  • Consider your team's work patterns when adjusting

Permission Requirements

Required Permission: ReportTimeRead

• Needed to view calendar-based metrics

• Team-level metrics require team access

• Manager/IC filtering requires management visibility

Tips for Success

Getting Started

1. Establish baseline: Review current focus time across organization

2. Set targets: Define healthy focus time for different roles

3. Track trends: Monitor over weeks/months, not days

4. Filter appropriately: Compare ICs to ICs, managers to managers

5. Correlate with outcomes: Link to velocity, quality, satisfaction

Taking Action on Low Focus Time

Individual Level:

• Review meeting necessity and attendance

• Establish "focus blocks" on calendar

• Decline optional meetings

• Consolidate recurring meetings

Team Level:

• Implement "no-meeting" days or core hours

• Audit recurring meeting necessity

• Move discussions to async channels

• Batch meetings into specific time blocks

Organization Level:

• Set company-wide meeting-free times

• Establish meeting best practices

• Review meeting culture across functions

• Celebrate teams with healthy focus time