Today's team building tip #108 gets you thinking about how you as a team can minimize distractions. Cognitive research continues to point to the energy and drain created when we are interrupted.
As I wrote in this past Teams365 blog post #629:
"The average American worker has fifty interruptions a day and seventy percent of them have nothing to do with work.
- W. Edwards Deming
Managing interrruptions is a challenge for most of us in business today. Whther our focus is shattered by the ping of an email coming in, or a colleague dropping by, managing interruptions is an area most of us can use some support in. Today's blog post looks at four strategies for getting on top of interruptions
1. Turn off technology at certain times of the day. When it's really important to focus - for example, when budgets need to be reviewed, or a report needs to be presented - it can be useful to turn off technology, even if it is simply for half an hour. The pings, buzzes and beeps become a distractor when we are in tasks that require deep focus.
2. Chunk tasks or common activities - When we are having to switch tasks frequently, for example, moving from big picture work, to detailed work, it can be disruptive to our focus, flow and brain. Many professionals find it useful to chunk common tasks and activities. So for example, chunking all financial related tasks at one time (budgets, reports etc) rather than moving between financials and something that requires more creativity - for example, a presentation.
3. Let others know those periods when you are not available - Depending on your work flow and office, there may be periods of the day which are earmarked for more quiet time. In one of my roles it was first hing in the morning. Our office was open for staff, and offially we were not open to the public for half an hour. This half an hour of early morning focus became an essential part of high performance for us, and it is still a habit I practice today, more than a decade later.
What are some other strategies you might want to employ in managing interruptions?"
in Teams365 #416 I pointed to these two great resources to support you
Here are two great articles on the top:
How Mulittasking at work can slow you down by Martha E. Mangelsdorf
The Cognitive Costs of Multitasking - Kendra Cherry
Have a great Thursday,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Coaching Skills Training | Leadership Development | Teamwork
Growing Team Leaders, One Conversation at a Time(TM)
Contact us to discuss coaching or performance needs for your and your team
Phone: (416)996-8326
As I wrote in this past Teams365 blog post #629:
"The average American worker has fifty interruptions a day and seventy percent of them have nothing to do with work.
- W. Edwards Deming
Managing interrruptions is a challenge for most of us in business today. Whther our focus is shattered by the ping of an email coming in, or a colleague dropping by, managing interruptions is an area most of us can use some support in. Today's blog post looks at four strategies for getting on top of interruptions
1. Turn off technology at certain times of the day. When it's really important to focus - for example, when budgets need to be reviewed, or a report needs to be presented - it can be useful to turn off technology, even if it is simply for half an hour. The pings, buzzes and beeps become a distractor when we are in tasks that require deep focus.
2. Chunk tasks or common activities - When we are having to switch tasks frequently, for example, moving from big picture work, to detailed work, it can be disruptive to our focus, flow and brain. Many professionals find it useful to chunk common tasks and activities. So for example, chunking all financial related tasks at one time (budgets, reports etc) rather than moving between financials and something that requires more creativity - for example, a presentation.
3. Let others know those periods when you are not available - Depending on your work flow and office, there may be periods of the day which are earmarked for more quiet time. In one of my roles it was first hing in the morning. Our office was open for staff, and offially we were not open to the public for half an hour. This half an hour of early morning focus became an essential part of high performance for us, and it is still a habit I practice today, more than a decade later.
What are some other strategies you might want to employ in managing interruptions?"
in Teams365 #416 I pointed to these two great resources to support you
Here are two great articles on the top:
How Mulittasking at work can slow you down by Martha E. Mangelsdorf
The Cognitive Costs of Multitasking - Kendra Cherry
Have a great Thursday,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Coaching Skills Training | Leadership Development | Teamwork
Growing Team Leaders, One Conversation at a Time(TM)
Contact us to discuss coaching or performance needs for your and your team
Phone: (416)996-8326
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