I was sitting in a meeting the other day at work and realized how often I glanced at my email or looked to my phone for text messages that were certain to come in over the course of the hour. It’s a bad habit, I know, and one that is not very productive in light of the many recent studies which show how counterproductive multi-tasking or switch-tasking as it is more correctly termed really is.
I’ve made it a policy in life to make changes as soon as practicable after realizing that a change must be made. In this case, I have the good fortune of amplifying the influence of personal decisions to refine throughout an organization of talented, capable and like-minded people who are eager to make a difference in the world.
Not being one to delay changes that I know need to be made, I brought the subject to the attention of my managers the next morning and was pleased to hear that they had noticed the same tendency to digital distraction. Moreover, they shared that they, too, had thought about how much undesirable drag it produced in meetings.
To make an already long story short, we’ve started experimenting with ways to mitigate the attention-splitting effects of digital distraction. Rather than issue an edict that everyone must begrudgingly adhere to without ever understanding the spirit behind it, I’ve encouraged my managers to come up with creative solutions to the problem with their respective teams.
So it’s off to the races! We’re going to get back together to discuss their findings in a few weeks and to consolidate our understanding of what works and what doesn’t, so keep an eye out for a second post on the topic.
My hope is that our discoveries will not only benefit our company, but the personal lives of my team. The ripple effects of such positive changes are easy to underestimate!
Gregory Hake 
Something else I have been thinking about regarding this is a tendency that I have, and I think that is shared with the segment of people that grew up working on a computer connected to the internet. I sometimes find it hard to work on a project without taking micro-breaks, switching to read a news site or a link-sharing site. For some projects this is ok, but it should be used to advantage and not as a matter of habit. People should be able to give their attention to something for as long as is necessary, but attention is a muscle and it must be built just like any other.
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Not only does this help to increase focus, but I also feel that there is a lack of respect when we are half listening to someone. It’s quite wonderful to listen fully to someone and to be listened to in that manner as sell.
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So I realize the last part of my comment would remove the spirit of choice, prior to entering the room…..but just think of the generation that could occur in a room devoid of digital distraction!
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A few things personally related, that have worked wonders are as follows…
1. Not having e-mail attached to my “phone”.
2. Keep distance from the phone. Especially if in a meeting or working on something that requires all my attention (for health & focus reasons)
3. Texting was designed to increase specificity & allow for quicker communication. Use it for such.
The conscious space, and financial substance that #1 has saved is huge!
An easy way to create a safe meeting place devoid of digital distraction would be to post a sign at the door, with a bowl for collecting….
“We’d Love your undivided attention….
Please leave all PDA’S in bowl provided below, before entering this room,
Thank-you!”
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Great post. I think many of us are sharing the same wavelength. I noticed in my own thoughts recently how I and others are tied to looking at their smart phones. Not really very smart. I noticed as I was reading your post my phone was right next to me which was splitting my focus between reading and seeing what my phone was doing. I picked it up and just put it out of sight. This was very helpful and I offer it as a strategy for digital distraction.
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Great topic. Guilty and looking forward to your next post on it!
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Just a few weeks ago I read the following book, “The Myth of Multitasking” by Dave Crenshaw. I have to confess I actually listened to it on audible as I am one of those who think they are too busy to read a book, so I listen as I drive.
It was an eye opener that I have been working with the last few weeks, then Gregg mentioned his observation in a meeting and I knew exactly what he was talking about. I can’t say I have made great strides but awareness is the beginning and I was so excited to have this be a subject others in the company will be alert to also. I look forward to sharing ideas together. As we all are aware of this our company has a great opportunity to be much more effective internally and also with our customers, which is one of our main company goals, “How can we best serve our customers”
The book goes on to note that the average worker has 2.1 hours est. lost productivity per 8 hr. workday, managers’ hour increase significantly. An average of 11 minutes is what an employee can devote to a project without being interrupted. These are just a few notes I took. It is a work in process for me right now and I look forward to sharing my thoughts with others. The book was very interesting and enlightening. You might want to try it.
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Thank you so much for mentioning the book, Brenda. If anyone wants to take a free multitasking test from the book just google “crenshaw multitasking exercise”.
Great post, Gregg!
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This has been on my radar lately as well. I made an effort to stop making calls when I was driving. I still answer but don’t originate them. I’ve gone back to listening to music or just enjoying the ride and my own thoughts. I noticed after a number of days of that I was getting in the car and a relaxed feeling was sweeping over me. I realize I don’t actually give myself the space to relax, even when it may be natural in that setting to do so. I’m interested in the findings of your team. We may be cheating ourselves out of more than we realize.
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I’m glad you brought that up. While some things you just can’t avoid in your professional life, such as being accessible to your clientele during business hours and dealing with true urgencies, there are many things you can and should avoid. It may not appear to be so, but it is a mental strain to keep switching back and forth between various tasks, especially when at least one of those tasks requires a good bit of concentration and effort.
I had an experience yesterday which taught me yet again that the difficult things to do may not really be so difficult, that you just see them that way for whatever reason and once you get going, it gets much easier. If you stop somewhere and switch over to something else, you have to go back and regain momentum lost. That’s where the fatigue comes.
I too will experiment some more.
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Thanks for giving the ripple effect a chance to affect your readers too!
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