How to Use a Slot Schedule to Organize Work

A slot is a narrow opening or notch in something, especially a piece of wood, metal, or another surface. In ornithology, a slot is the space between the primaries of a bird’s wings during flight that allows air to flow through and prevents them from becoming turbulent. In ice hockey, a slot is an unmarked area in front of the opponent’s goal that affords a good vantage point for an attacking player.

In slot machines, players insert cash or, in “ticket-in, ticket-out” machine, a paper ticket with a barcode into a slot, which activates a series of reels and stops them to randomly arrange symbols. When a winning combination of symbols lines up, the player receives a payout according to the machine’s pay table. Symbols vary between games, but classic symbols include fruits, bells, and stylized lucky sevens. Many slot games have a theme, and the symbols used reflect this theme.

Dixon et al. (2019) found that players with mindfulness problems outside the gambling context may experience dark flow more strongly when they play slots than do those without such difficulties. They theorized that this is because during regular mentations, players’ attention wanders and they are intermittently reined in by the attention-capturing sights and sounds of the slot machine.

A slot-based schedule can be used in a variety of ways, from organizing team meetings and consultations with staff to establishing important deadlines for projects. The approach can also be useful for identifying areas of work that require improvement or training, as it encourages employees to be aware of the status of their performance.