navigating through distractions

Session I

Navigate Through Distractions Pam Vaccaro, MA, CSP

2013 Spring Series: Kinetic Breakthroughs for Transformational Leaders

Increasing your ROI!

• 10 %• Listening

to the presenter.

• 20 %• Bringing

information back to colleagues.

• 70 %• Actually

applying the concepts.

?

The Focused Leader

Accountable

Pays Attention Is Focused“Shows Up”

Planner

SustainsAlignment

Value-Based

Adapted from Partners in Leadership, LLC Oz Principle

We live above the line when we take accountability for our actions, problems, and direction alone or as an organization.

DO ITSee It

OWN IT SOLVE IT

SEE IT

Bonus APP

3 Qs

When speaking with someone, ask them three questions about what they have said before talking about yourself.

The Three Essentials forFocus Management

Maintaining Focus

Implementing aProcess for Focus

Getting in Focus

Getting in Focus

1. Know your “why” for focus.

2. Be intentional.3. Remove distractions.4. Achieve success.

Choose to Focus

The “Time-Attention-Focus” Perspective

Time

Attention

FocusINTENTION

MOTIVATION

Behavior Retention Habits Productivity

Copyright 2009 Designs on Time Pamela J Vaccaro

Multi-tasking

PROCESS

The “Time-Attention-Focus” Perspective

PROCESS

Time

Attention

Focus

MOTIVATION

Interference

FDD

Interventions Accountability Course Correction

INTENTION TM

“Focus Deficit Disorder”

Behavior Retention Habits Productivity

Getting in Focus

Decide on the importance of the task at hand.

Check for accuracy if you are in a multi-tasking situation.

Reconsider Multi-Tasking

Who? What? When? Where

? Why ? How?

Getting in Focus

One unit of focused time equals 4.5 units of time if the focus is broken.

Consider this loss of time when changing your focus or asking for a colleague’s attention.

Focus Equation: 1=4 ½

Getting in Focus

Short breaks refresh the brain’s ability to focus again more intensely and productively. Walk around your

house/the office. Focus on a pleasant visual. Read for enjoyment. Meditate. Breathe. Yours?

Take “Recess”

Use an odd number

of minutes and “cell phone time” to get participants back from a meeting break right on time.

Focused Meeting Breaks

Getting in Focus

Define you “best” time of day.

Define your “worst” time of day.

Protect this time from distractions.

Collaborate with colleagues on protecting each other’s best time of day.

Use Your Chronobiology

The Three Essentials forFocus Management

Maintaining Focus

Implementing aProcess for Focus

Getting in Focus

Implementing a Process for Focus

Paper vs.“Plastic”? It does not matter how

you do it, but that you do it (planning).

A calendar is not a planner.

Planning involves looking at all the steps to complete the task and scheduling them for execution.

Be a planner

Implementing a Process for Focus

Plan by the week. Adjust daily. As the critical

question—am I in my 20%?”

Setting the Direction for a Focused Week and Day

Implementing a Process for Focus

A snippet of time is a 7-9 minute

time period that occurs periodically during the

day.

Keep a list of snippet tasks.

See them as “gold mine” opportunities.

Do them during day even at “recess.”

Snippets of Time

Implementing a Process for Focus

The 80/20 Theory of Vilfredo Pareto is the

premier guide for focus.

“20% of what we choose to do produces 80% of the results we desire.”

Choose wisely and intentionally to maintain focus.

80/20 Theory

A • Not urgent• Important• High level of gratification• (Often postponed)

D• Not urgent• Not important• Great fun/thoughtless• (Used for procrastination)

B• Urgent• Important• Tension-building• (Gets most

attention)

C. • Urgent• Not important• “Delusional”• (Often unquestioned)

20%

Implementing a Process for Focus

What if I don’t do it?

What if I just do it and don’t whine?

What would change if I applied Think/Question/Negotiate/ Delegate?

20%

80%

The Three-Question Discerning Process for Maintaining the 20%

Plan high priority activities during your best time of day to achieve

“Highest Level of Effectiveness.”

Bonus APP

Use Your Chronobiology

for HLE

The Three Essentials forFocus Management

Maintaining Focus

Implementing aProcess for Focus

Getting in Focus

• Where we want to go.• Futuristic.Vision

• The means by which we intend to get there.• Not our strategic plan.• Now.Mission

• What behaviors we will demonstrate along the way.

• Always.

Core Values

Maintaining focus: controlling distractions

A more accountable way of defining an

interruption and one that puts you in control

would be:“An opportunity to

question my current set of priorities.”

Re-defining “Interruption”

Maintaining focus: controlling distractions

There are basically two things everyone wants

to know plus one special

addition.

What are you going to do for me?

When are you going to do it?

Communicating Priorities

Give an update to reduce stress and increase credibility.

Maintaining focus: controlling distractions

Intentional E-Mail Checklist Have I initiated

something to get my reader’s attention?

Have I made the e-mail really easy for my reader to read and understand?

Have I made it clear what I want my reader to do using the “what and when” rule?

Maintaining focus: controlling distractions

Intentional E-Mail Checklist(continued)

Have I tried to reduce the time my reader will spend on this e-mail?

Have I told my reader how I want him/her to respond to my e-mail?

Have I remembered to use e-mails for a quick update?

Maintaining focus: controlling distractions

E-mail Attention-Getters! Use bullet points to line

item ideas. Use paragraphs. Avoid going under the

line (having to scroll down) if possible.

Use cc: very, very sparingly.

Use salutation, closing, and signature on e-mails.

Maintaining focus: controlling distractions

E-mail Attention-Getters!

Use a verb or action phrase on the subject line.

Use EOM on the subject line.

Use other acronyms — FYI etc.

Avoid the overuse of re: on the subject line.

Maintaining focus: controlling distractions

Spending Less Attention on Your E-mails!

Consider turning off pop up!

Check e-mail frequently, but not constantly.

Do most important e-mails during your best time of day.

Open Outlook Click “View Tab” Click “View Settings” Click “Conditional Formatting” Add “Type in a name” font Choose color – or font changes Click “OK” Click “Condition “ in From field put in names you want to apply this color coding to and click “Okay”

Color-Code E-mailsOutlook 2010

Maintaining focus: controlling distractions

Color-Code E-MailsOutlook 2007

Go to “tools.” Go to “Organize.” Select “Using

colors.” Input e-mail

sender/s. Input selected

color. Apply.

Reverse the upside-down agenda.

Address the 20% first. Have a focused line-item

agenda including a time limit and an expected outcome.

Use synthesizing language to keep the discussion focused.

Three Best Quick-Fixes for a Focused Meeting

Focus ManagementMaintaining focus: controlling distractions

Happier Tal Ben-Shahar

Have a sense that they make a difference

Get to use their gifts

Aware of their gifts or strengths