How to Focus
Posted in Advice | 11 Comments
Imagine the incredible results you’d have if you and your team really focused on a consistent basis.
You’d likely…
- contribute more
- waste less time ramping back up
- serve customers better (internally and externally)
- find more customers
- come up with more ideas
- plan better
- be less frustrated and stressed
- help others focus more (by interrupting them less)
- make more money (for everyone… including you)
Nothing’s guaranteed, of course. But it’s a better bet. (And in the long run, you’ll enjoy more.)
____________________
4 ways to knock out the bulk of distractions
- Establish focus hours with your team (or company-wide) – chunks of time each day where everyone will allow everyone else to focus (that includes you). No inter-office communications unless it truly can’t wait. At GiveMore, ours are from 9 am – 11 am and 2 pm – 4 pm (4 total hours a day). You’ll make mistakes occasionally and break focus hours but with commitment and reinforcement, everyone will benefit. If you’re really tough, in order to minimize outside distractions, let your family and friends know your focus hours.
- Turn off email alerts and commit to checking it at the most minimal level you feel is possible for your particular world without having a negative impact on service. If you’re a Smover or 212er, most of your inbound emails are probably important but still don’t need attention for at least an hour (if not longer). Be truthful with yourself and set your interval so everyone wins. If you can set only two or three specific times a day to respond to email, do it.
- Turn off instant messaging services unless your work absolutely requires it to get the job done. Having to phone someone or talk with them live (by visiting them) will make you more aware and respectful of someone else’s time (and yours).
- Avoid the web during money hours unless you absolutely need it for your work. The distractions are endlessly wonderful for those who’d prefer to avoid making things happen (which of course, isn’t your goal). If you must open a browser during the money hours (or focus hours), make sure your home page is something that doesn’t have the potential to encourage you down destruction distraction road (e.g., news or email sites, personalized pages, etc.). Search and discover outside your money hours or at lunch.
Managers: Depending on your team, some or all of these ideas might not go over well (we know firsthand). Involving people in a discussion, asking them for ideas on how to improve internal focus and minimize distractions, might be a good first step. Also, consistently helping people remember the purpose behind what it is you do for customers can help gain commitment to your reasons for focusing.
Questions? Email Sam Parker.
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I love it Sam. My office has used focused periods (9:15 to Noon and 4-5) for developing new business for about 6 months. At first it was very difficult to not run to my email. I used the excuse “I have to have my outlook open for the calendar”, but I would always say “I need to check that email from the underwriter.”
Now I simply print out a couple of days of my calendar, and write “old school” notes on it until after my focus hours. This way I have no excuse for being distracted.
Ken
My role has been changing over the last year from classroom delivery to projects. The scheduled focus time is my new year’s resolution. Thanks for the tip!
I know this works…when I am mindful to apply the principles. At the end of my most successful days, I can see where I stayed focused, and did not allow the distractions to drift me away……
Hi, I’m Sam… And I’m an EmailWebaholic.
Hi, Sam (in chorus).
When I worked for someone else, we had our mandated focussed time, and it worked well. Now that I’m self-employed I don’t do that. I try to do everything all the time, meaning I don’t complete tasks the way I should. Thank you for the reminder to get back to something that was a big contributor to my success as an employee.
Hi Sam,
I also have forgotton that focussed time is one of the things that originally helped me become successful. Thank you for the reminder!
Hi Sam,
thanks for your reminder fucused time really helped me
I agree. Focused time for me, is coming in after everyone is in their cube or office with the door closed. I walk in and quietly shut my door, leave the lights off and shade pulled over my window so that people won’t knock or stand at my window to get my attention. Sometimes I just work from home, in order to get the focus time I need without the distraction of my phone (and I silence the cell phone) or office coworkers.
[...] 4 quick tips to minimize the bulk of distractions… because your time to [...]
Sam- Spot on! I work from home some days and use the focus hours technic to accomplish more in a shorter period of time (or in the time in used to take before all the new technologies).
[...] Sam Parker at Give More Media has a great blog post on “How to Focus“ [...]