Software engineers aren't special. Literally any job that requires a modicum of concentration, whether it's writing marketing copy or doing complex financial forecasts, means that interruptions are costly.
I once had a boss (legal - so lots of drafting/reviewing) who had a rule: no meetings & no drivebys before lunch. For anyone on the team. Calendars were expected to be clear from 9-1. He'd say "If you aren't sprinting down the hall to talk about it then it can wait until after lunch."
Of course there were "emergencies" and things so it was more like a team standard than a rule but it was phenomenal. When I got to my desk in the morning I always knew I'd have a solid block of time to get through the important work before I had to go to a bunch of meetings and take on more.
Of course there were "emergencies" and things so it was more like a team standard than a rule but it was phenomenal. When I got to my desk in the morning I always knew I'd have a solid block of time to get through the important work before I had to go to a bunch of meetings and take on more.