Oooh Look! A Squirrel!

At the end of a work day, I often look back and wonder where the time went. I used to teach time management and most of the time it seems that I can’t manage my own calendar anymore. It could be tempting to suggest that we would probably like to be paid for how hard we “work” rather than how much meaningful output is produced. While working hard is a strong and desirable personal characteristic, it is also the stuff of urban legend. That myth is drilled into us from childhood. The lie goes something like this: “Work hard and you will be rewarded.” The part that is usually left out is that those efforts should actually produce something first. The evil of distractions are all around us and constantly trying to counteract our best efforts to be productive. Most of us struggle like we are caught in a web… the more we try to escape the more entangled we become. If the cliché “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” holds true, then it makes sense that we find out what is causing our entanglements, stop that from happening, and prevent recurrence.  

Cause #1: The Computer and its Evil Henchman, Email – Email is one of the most insidious culprits that live in our computers. Thanks to software providers that have “improved” the email function to a high state of reliability, we can instantly see who wants our attention. Push button communication has not come with any improved people skills. All of us send messages and demand instant gratification that it has been read, understood and acted upon. The solution is simple: Turn it off or hide it from view. Let everyone who depends on you know that you only periodically check email and will act on them within 24 hours unless there is a volcanic eruption happening in the basement. Of course, this only works if there is a personal pledge to have a zero-inbox policy at the end of each day. Here the disentangling mechanism is recognition of the problem, implementing action to fix it, and making a commitment to maintain the fix.

Cause #2: The Internet and All Social Media Outlets – Communication and collaboration have improved our collective intelligence through technology. Reaching beyond company boundaries allows us to share ideas and solutions with social media colleagues who have developed short cuts and have proof of experiential evidence regarding what works and what doesn’t work. Unfortunately, this close knit virtual group of collaborators/friends can also be a lure into wasting time instead of working. We have learned that it is a waste of resources to send cartoon-like emails, but posting to Pinterest or Facebook is a big tease to fall for the latest electronic time suck. While it is sometimes difficult to separate the work from the distraction, budgeting time for both will help to control it. Otherwise, turn it off and develop the will power not to peak. Again, the disentangling mechanism is recognition of the problem, implementing action to fix it, and making a commitment to maintain the fix.

Cause #3: Telephony of Any Format – Whether land lines or smart phones, there is some kind of psychological imperative that stabs us in the ear when a phone rings. We have been conditioned to answer immediately regardless of what the caller ID tells us. Logically, this makes no sense. It is really allowing someone else’s unknown priority to interfere with our programmed priorities. Interruptions not only halt work in progress and eat up the time used for the call it causes us the delay of ramping up to the level of concentration before the call was answered. Voicemail answered in a timely manner should satisfy all but the neediest interrupter. In times when work is happening that requires brainpower, turn off the phone.  As with email, living up to the promise to answer the voicemail makes it work for everybody. Another example that the disentangling mechanism is recognition of the problem, implementing action to fix it, and making a commitment to maintain the fix.

Cause #4: People Intruding Unnecessarily Into Our Space – Even when we silence all of the electronic means for distraction, the “drive-by” shooters aim their mouths at our ears and engage in what begins as a one-way conversation. Mom and Dad taught us to be nice, so we allow ourselves to be dragged into a dialog that probably has no correlation to the work in progress. As our workplace slides into the next generation of open-space offices, there is already environmental static in the atmosphere surrounding us. Some sort of “do not disturb” sign stolen from a hotel or a unique page printed out in large letters can at least alert others that you are occupied at the present. When the sign is not placed in its usual strategic location, engagement is permitted. The reciprocity of respecting others’ privacy is a key to becoming more productive. This is another example that the disentangling mechanism in recognition of the problem, implementing action to fix it, and making a commitment to maintain the fix.     

Cause #5: Ourselves! – This is one cause of distraction that we can’t just turn off. We assume that we are capable of multitasking, but our brains are not really wired that way. The most productive use of our capacity to think is when we focus on one task at a time and bring it to completion before moving on. Realistically speaking, we may have to introduce new activities into our lives, but planning out our daily work is one way to insure that we keep on track. Looking for the toughest and least enjoyable problem first gets that out of the way of other things that must be done. Planning for distractive time is also important… not the unknown and unplanned interruptions, but dedicated down time. Music, entertainment and meditation can give our brain muscle a chance to relax and in doing so we soothe our bodies. How do we accomplish this? By planning our disentangling mechanism in recognition of the problem, implementing action to fix it, and making a commitment to maintain the fix

How many other distractions and interruptions mar our productivity every day? This list is probably the top five causes nested in a top 10 or a top 40 list. Since recognizing the problem is the first step toward forming a solution, write them down and share with co-workers and others. Comments here are welcomed. Nobody has to do it alone!

Photo credit: © Julioy | Dreamstime.com