Separate real complexity from avoidable load
Classify a workload problem as intrinsic, extraneous, or germane load before choosing a fix.
The move: diagnose the load before you fix the calendar. Cognitive Load Theory separates the pressure on working memory into three useful buckets. Intrinsic load is the real difficulty of the work. A pricing model with five variables is harder than a status note because the task itself contains more relationships to hold. Extraneous load is the waste added by poor design: unclear files, mystery acronyms, ambiguous asks, and noisy channels. Germane load is the effort that helps you build a better schema, such as making a decision rule, mapping dependencies, or finding the pattern in customer issues. This distinction…
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