It’s no secret that we are constantly bombarded with distractions. Unless we are asleep or perhaps making space to meditate, our world is filled with things that want to sap our attention away from what we should be focusing on. Until recently, however, no one understood how profound these distractions are.
A new article at HBR.org by David Allen and Justin Hale profiles the research of the Crucial Learning resource center, which conducted a study of 1,600 employees and managers to assess focus. What they found was that nearly two-thirds of all employees rarely if ever do an hour of deep, focused work without distractions creeping in. Shockingly, one-third of participants said that they could only focus on a task for a maximum of 10 minutes before becoming distracted. The detrimental effects of these constant distractions are far reaching. They include feelings of overwhelm, stress, lack of motivation and/or energy, and unfulfillment. At the end of the day we likely all say we’ve been very busy, but how many of us have really been productive?
So what do managers and those in leadership do to help employees stay focused and prioritize tasks effectively? The authors lay out 7 helpful tips that will be able to help productivity and focus from the moment employees check their first email in the morning to wrapping up at close of business. And they should know. They are, after all, the authors of Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity. Check out the full article here and see if the tips will apply to your team!