There’s no such thing as a distraction-free workspace. I don’t care if you’re in your office, at home, or in a favorite coffee shop. Your mind can still wander. The beeps and alerts from your phone and laptop can draw you away from the task at hand. It happens to the best of us.
Being a transformational leader—a solutions-oriented leader—means having the right tools to deal with those distractions. Let me offer just a few suggestions.
Start with the Cell Phone
The most ever-present source of distraction is your cell phone, always there to tempt you with emails, social media, and more. To address this distraction, I recommend a couple of options:
- When you’re trying to get real, creative work done, put your device into Do Not Disturb mode, then set it aside. You’ll be okay going a few minutes without text and email!
- Schedule blocks of time throughout the day to check email, post on LinkedIn, etc. Having specified times for these activities can curb your distraction during other parts of the day.
What About Email?
There’s also the matter of email, and here my advice is similar:
- Turn the email alerts on your phone and on your desktop off.
- Have a block of email time in the morning and a block in the afternoon—and otherwise, let it be.
Distractions from People
You may also deal with distractions in the form of people popping into your office with questions or concerns. Now, I truly believe that solutions-oriented leaders should be open and accessible, with open-door policies. With that said, there’s nothing wrong with having a scheduled hour of time each day where you have your door closed to focus on productivity. You might also try having posted “office hours” where you can encourage your team members to come with any non-urgent concerns.
Finally… Snack Time!
One more common distraction? Hunger. I know a lot of leaders who find themselves drifting to the vending machine each day, which inevitably takes them out of their productive headspace. My simple solution here is to stock a desk drawer with a few healthy snacks, and to make sure you’ve got your bottle of water before you sit down to work. That’s all there is to it.
I’d love to chat with you more about taking a solutions-oriented approach to distraction; reach out today!
You can contact me at www.rickgoodman.com or call 888-267-6098.
What is a solutions-oriented leader? Take the free Solutions-Oriented Leader Assessment now and claim your Comprehensive Guide to Achieve Success. Dr. Rick Goodman’s Solutions-Oriented Leader book is now available to order online. In this first-of-a-kind, comprehensive guide, author Dr. Rick Goodman leads you through the everyday challenges of the modern workplace while providing you with easy-to-implement solutions to achieve world-class results!
