Focus in a World of Multi-tasking

As a leader, how do you keep your focus in an age of multi-tasking?

Multitasking may speed you through your to-do list, but it also makes you more likely to make mistakes and less likely to retain information. Here are three ways to focus:

• Think good thoughts. Positive emotions improve the brain's executive function and encourage creative and strategic thinking. Improve your emotional balance by taking short breaks and thinking about things that make you happy.
• Ban distractions. Be aware of what steals your attention. When disrupted, make a conscious choice to return to the task at hand.  This may mean shutting off your Blackberry/Smartphone.
• Leave things behind. When you turn to a new task, part of your brain is still thinking about the last one. Before starting something new, go for a walk, climb stairs, or do some deep breathing to clear your head.

Adapted from "Train Your Brain to Focus" by Paul Hammerness, MD, and Margaret Moore.

Embracing Distractors

As a leader, do you encourage or discourage distractors in the workplace?

Recent studies have revealed the productivity cost of interruptions in the workplace. But as the world gets more distracting, can we truly uphold the ideal of undivided attention?   In fact, is undivided attention even desirable?  Not all disruptions are negative. Gazing out the window allows your brain to come up with new ideas or process information. Logging on to social media for a few minutes can give you a much-needed break so you return to work in a better, more productive mood. Instead of barring things that take attention - your own and that of the staff you lead - away from work, try creating and embracing positive interruptions. You might even want to talk with people to find out how they use distractors to help them be more effective in their work.



Adapted from "Three Skills Every 21st-Century Manager Needs" by Andrew L. Molinsky, Thomas H. Davenport, Bala Iyer, and Cathy Davidson.