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2014 Talent Pulse—The Mindful Employee: Finding Focus in the Age of Distractions

About HCI Talent Pulse ResearchTalent Pulse from the Human Capital Institute (HCI) is a quarterly research e-book that explores the latest trends and challenges in managing talent. The following HCI talent communities are annually examined:

n HR Strategy & Analytics

n Talent Acquisition

n Learning & Development

n Management & Leadership

Statistically rigorous, expert data analysis is conducted and supplemented with in-depth thought leader interviews. Each quarter, a new report is released in conjunction with one of the four HCI talent communities. Topics for each quarter’s analysis are determined by survey responses of HR and business professionals. This report focuses on defining and combating distractions in the workplace that impair employee productivity.

Talent Pulse is designed to provide practitioners and decision makers with prescriptive methods to rehabilitate the health and wellness of human capital, and empower employees and leaders to effectively address future challenges.

Copyright © 2014 Human Capital Institute. All rights reserved.

Introduction

Workplace Distractions

Examining Disruptions

Employers’ Concerns

Laissez-Faire Approach

Mindfulness Techniques

Conclusion

Appendices

Introduction

Workplace Distractions

Examining Disruptions

Employers’ Concerns

Laissez-Faire Approach

Mindfulness Techniques

Conclusion

Appendices

Key Takeaways:

n Most common distractions: The top-rated distractions as reported by individual contributors were found to be co-worker side chatter, internal email, lack of sleep, performing tasks unrelated to position goals, and personal internet use.

n Differences by generation: Distractions also vary according to age, with millennials being the most affected by personal technology devices and spending the most time on non-work-related activities.

n Organizational policies. The overwhelming majority believe it is the responsibility of managers and individual employees to manage workplace distractions. Only half report it falls in the hands of the HR department. In addition, nearly half of organizations that have policies regarding technology usage at work say they are leniently applied, with 13 percent who say they are rarely enforced and 35 percent who say they are sometimes enforced.

n Reducing workplace distractions. Only a few of respondents’ organizations are implementing interventions aimed at reducing distractions and increasing employees’ productivity. Although it is important to note that organizations that have reduced the frequency of meetings or implemented a “no device” policy during meetings report that these methods are effective at reducing distractions for their employees.

n Benefits of mindfulness: Most talent management leaders surveyed recognize the attributes for attaining mindfulness to be important or very important for their employees, such as being psychologically present in the work (94 percent), attentive and focused on the task (97 percent) and being conscious of distractions or mind-wandering (89 percent). However, only 20 percent offer mindfulness training to their employees.

n Distractions at work are an exercise in moderation: Individuals need them throughout the day to allow working minds to reset but too many damage the ability to be productive. This report offers recommendations for individuals and organizations to help them navigate that balance.

Find your pulse, find your power.

Research Partner

Introduction

Workplace Distractions

Examining Disruptions

Employers’ Concerns

Laissez-Faire Approach

Mindfulness Techniques

Conclusion

Appendices

About UNC Executive DevelopmentFor sixty years, UNC Executive Development has partnered with organizations to create customized executive

development programs to answer their business challenges. As a part of the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business

School, UNC Executive Development brings the school’s experience, reputation and noted faculty to these

challenging and impactful programs. In 2013, the Financial Times ranked UNC Executive Development No. 8

overall in the world and No. 4 in the United States for its customized executive development programs designed

to help organizations address these challenges. UNC Executive Development also ranked highly in many

individual categories, notably as No. 2 in the world and No. 1 in the United States for value. Visit UNC Kenan-

Flagler Business School’s website for more information about the school and the university—see more at:

http://execdev.unc.edu.

Distractions in the Workplace: The Impact on Attention and ProductivityContemporary advances in technology and the accessibility of electronic applications and websites have amplified the prevalence of distractions in the workplace. Employees in an office setting have to field both work related and personal interruptions: open office layouts, multiple computer screens, multiple browser windows, instant messages, social media, phone calls, email, and meetings. With a projected 328 million workers around the world bringing a smart phone to the workplace by 2017,1 more employers will have to manage this technological phenomenon. An executive at eBay referred to workplace distractions today as an “epidemic.”2

Though minor distractions and breaks from work may seem harmless, they have potentially high financial consequences, as they can cost businesses over $10,000 per employee per year. Forty-five percent of employees say they can work for only 15 minutes at a time or less without being interrupted.3 Multitasking reduces the amount of attention we can give to a certain task, and shifting between tasks can cost up to 40 percent of someone’s productive time.4 Even worse, strong multitaskers are more likely to seek out distractions as they are more susceptible to irrelevant stimuli.5

Seeking out engagement, or interaction, is a natural part of our lives, even if it causes us to harm ourselves. A study found that participants would rather give themselves electrical shocks than sit alone with nothing but their thoughts, most likely due to boredom and curiosity.6 People may want a way out from a task that is too challenging or boring, so they seek escape through distractions.

Figure 1. Percentage of managers/leaders who strongly agree/agree with these statements (n = 319)

Overwhelming demands require most employees work longer hours

Pressure to instantly respond to email

Employees are unable to disconnect from work at home or on vacation

Belief that multi-tasking is essential to productivity

62% 60%48% 30%

Introduction

Workplace Distractions

Examining Disruptions

Employers’ Concerns

Laissez-Faire Approach

Mindfulness Techniques

Conclusion

Appendices

TALENT PULSE PODCASTPODCAST—LISTEN HERE

Gloria MarkProfessor of Informatics at the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer SciencesUniversity of California, Irvine

A Review of the Research on Multitasking and Performance

Workplace distractions are not always detrimental and in small doses can actually be beneficial for employee performance and organizational functioning. Distractions can give employees an opportunity to pause from their responsibilities and refresh their minds. Activities, such as listening to music, taking walks, or daydreaming, allow our minds to wander and act as a natural reset button of the brain and allows for creative insights.7 Studies suggest occasional, undemanding distractions can help increase creativity, reduce workplace monotony, and boost alertness.8 Smart phone breaks throughout the day can positively influence perceptions of personal well-being and researchers suggested 20 to 25 minutes will not terribly affect productivity and is good for the employee.9 Employee music use can have both positive and negative effects on productivity. A study of IT specialists revealed those who listened to music finished tasks quicker and came up with better ideas versus those who did not listen to music.10 However, it was found that absorbing or remembering new information is best with music off.11

The majority of workers in today’s economy feel increased pressure to be constantly connected to work and work longer hours for longer hours (Figure 1). The challenge for employees is to be focused and productive with the increased number of inputs on their time and increased usage of technologies in our lives. Due to the prevalence and accessibility of workplace distractions, it is important to determine which policies and trainings are best for steering employees through the distraction-filled maze of their daily lives. With this HCI signature research, we explore how organizations are managing distractions and distracted employees in the workplace.

“Distractions help my thinking process by engaging different areas of creativity. I welcome distractions and the change of pace energizes me. Routine, day-to-day activities bore me and I lose interest once it starts to feel stale. Those are the moments where I will walk away from a project/activity to try something else for some time until I’m ready to go back and finish what I previously started.”

—Survey Respondent

Introduction

Workplace Distractions

Examining Disruptions

Employers’ Concerns

Laissez-Faire Approach

Mindfulness Techniques

Conclusion

Appendices

Examining the Organizational, Technological, and Personal Disruptions at Work

According to a study of full-time employees, co-workers have been cited as the most common workplace distraction.12 Likewise, the physical set-up of the work environment can be a distraction itself, such as sound coming from appliances, temperature, and poor ergonomically designed workspaces. Open-office work environments can negatively impact attention span, productivity, creative thinking, and satisfaction.13 However, employees who were better at screening out distractions were more effective a working within an open-office environment.14

Technology can be another major source of distraction for employees. Though digital technology has increased productivity, the downside is that it comes with its own set of distractions, such as having multiple computer screens, mass internal emails, and blurring the line between internet for business versus internet for personal use. In fact, 40 percent of internet access in the workplace is used for non-work related activities, also known as cyberslacking.15 In a survey of employees, 64 percent admit to visiting non-work related websites each day, with 21 percent who admit to cyberslacking between two and five hours each week.16 With regards to email, employees spend an estimated 28 percent of their workweek sorting through messages.17 Likewise, employees check their email 74 times a day on average, according to Gloria Mark, an author on workplace behavior and a professor at the University of California, Irvine.18 The arrival of smart phones has made it easier for employees to be distracted as well, as the ability to surf the internet, check email, and access electronic apps is now in the palm of their hands. On average, people check their phones 150 times a day.19

Even smart phone use away from the work environment may have a negative effect on employees. A study of nurses determined that increased smart phone use during the evening was associated with degraded sleep quality and poorer engagement, more so than watching television or working on a laptop or tablet computer.20

Finally, personal matters can interfere with the work lives of employees, such as access to quality childcare, personal or family health issues, financial instability, and personal relationship challenges. With regards to monetary issues, it is estimated that financially-stressed employees spend 20 to 30 hours per month at work on personal finances.21 Human resource professionals are observing the implications of financial angst, as 70 percent say personal financial challenges have a large or some impact on their employees’ performance, and nearly 40 percent of employees are facing greater financial challenges now than before the recession began in 2007.22

Introduction

Workplace Distractions

Examining Disruptions

Employers’ Concerns

Laissez-Faire Approach

Mindfulness Techniques

Conclusion

Appendices

“I find that my biggest distractions are environmental and people related—noise, activity and interruptions when I am trying to focus and concentrate on my work. I try to work at home for really important projects so I can reduce the time they take to complete. I try to be mindful and appreciative but it can be very difficult at times when others have no regard for you or your need to be productive.”

—Survey Respondent

In our study, the top rated distractions by mean as reported by individual contributors are: co-worker side chatter, internal email, lack of sleep, performing tasks unrelated to position goals, and personal internet use/cyberslacking (Figure 2).

Age does play a factor in how technology affects the respondent’s productivity. After controlling for job role, industry, geography and size of company, Millennials report being more affected by personal technology devices and personal technological use at work than older generations (Figure 3). Millennials report the most time daily spent on non-work related activities. Less than half (42 percent) of manager/leader respondents agree that Millennials are more distracted at work compared to other generations. Our data show otherwise. On average, Millennials report 35 minutes per day spent on non-work related activities during their work hours compared to 23 minutes for Baby Boomers.

Figure 2. How often do the following distractions affect your productivity at work? (n = 565; respondents in individual contributor roles only)

n Never n Rarely n Sometimes n Often n All of the time

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Co-worker side chatter

Over management

Too many meetings

Performing tasks unrelated to position goals

Internal email

Internet use or cyberslacking

Multiple browser windows

Personal smartphone use

Lack of sleep

Financial health

Personal financial expenses

ORGANIZATIONAL

TECHNOLOGICAL

PERSONAL

8%

26%

30%

14%

18%

20%

24%

20%

11%

32%

29%

11%

27%

25%

22%

18%

21%

20%

27%

23%

26%

30%

40%

24%

23%

42%

34%

32%

31%

30%

45%

28%

30%

30%

16%

17%

17%

22%

19%

17%

17%

17%

11%

8%

11%

7%

6%

5%

8%

7%

8%

6%

4%

2%

3%

Introduction

Workplace Distractions

Examining Disruptions

Employers’ Concerns

Laissez-Faire Approach

Mindfulness Techniques

Conclusion

Appendices

Figure 3. How often do the following distractions affect your productivity at work? (1 = Never to 5 = All the time)

n Millenials 1980 and 1999 (n = 343)

n Generation X 1965 and 1979 (n = 121)

n Baby Boomers 1946 and 1964 (n = 71)

Personal instant messenger

Multiple browser windows

Personal music use

Personal internet use or cyberslacking

Personal tablet use

Personal smartphone use

Personal email

Working from home distractions

0 1 2 3 4 5

Mean ResponseNever All the time

2.2

2.9

2.5

2.0

1.9

2.7

2.3

1.8

2.11.71.42.82.52.2

1.4

2.01.71.51.1

2.92.41.8

1.8

1.4

Interestingly, individual contributors and managers/leaders differ as to the motivations for seeking out distractions at work. Non-managers report that boredom and a preference for multi-tasking are their main motivations for seeking distractions, while managers/leaders (rating all employees in general in their organizations) place boredom at the bottom of the ranking and lack of self-regulation or planning at the top (Table 1). It is important to note that we did not directly sample the direct report of managers/leaders, but rather surveyed a separate sample of individual contributors. However, we found no pattern of differences in responses for either group across respondents’ age, job function, industry, geography, or organizational size.

Individual Contributors Mean Ranking Managers/Leaders Mean RankingBoredom 2.8 Lack of self-regulation or planning 2.9Preference for multi-tasking 3.4 Low employee engagement 3.2No incentive to work harder 3.7 Lack of self-control 3.7Low employee engagement 3.8 No incentive to work harder 3.8Lack of self-regulation or planning 4.0 Escaping work that is too difficult or challenging 4.0Lack of self-control 4.2 Preference for multi-tasking 4.1Escaping work that is too difficult or challenging 4.2 Boredom 4.2

Table 1. Rank ordering of the motivations for seeking out distractions at work. Individual contributors reported their own motivations, while managers/leaders stated their opinion for their entire organization. Lower means indicate a higher ranking.

Introduction

Workplace Distractions

Examining Disruptions

Employers’ Concerns

Laissez-Faire Approach

Mindfulness Techniques

Conclusion

Appendices

Are Employers Concerned (Or Not)? Possible Outcomes of Employee Distractions at Work

We asked managers/leaders who are primarily in HR and leadership and development roles which types of distractions they are most concerned with. The top rated distractions are: too many meetings, role ambiguity, and performing tasks unrelated to position goals (Figure 4). Note that even for these top ten responses only three reached the “Somewhat Concerned” rating and few have a policy or intervention in place to address it.

PODCAST—LISTEN HERE

Figure 4. The top ten responses to this question: How concerned are you about the following affecting your organization’s productivity? (1 = Not at all concerned, 5 = Extremely concerned; n = 314)

Too many meetings

Role ambiguity

Performing tasks unrelated to position goals

Internal email

Personal smartphone use

Co-worker side chatter

Over management

Personal internet use or cyberslacking

Sickness or disability in family

External email

0 1 2 3 4 5

3.5

3.2

3.1

3.0

2.9

2.9

2.8

2.8

2.7

2.7

Mean Response

46%

43%

54%

51%

41%

27%

17%

74%

51%

% have a policy or intervention for it

28%

Introduction

Workplace Distractions

Examining Disruptions

Employers’ Concerns

Laissez-Faire Approach

Mindfulness Techniques

Conclusion

Appendices

Joanne ColauttiAssociate Director, Office of the Global ChairmanKPMG

Managing Distractions in the Workplace

Introduction

Workplace Distractions

Examining Disruptions

Employers’ Concerns

Laissez-Faire Approach

Mindfulness Techniques

Conclusion

Appendices

There are two types of distractions that fall within the technological, organizational, and personal categories: work- and non-work-related distractions. For example, too many nonproductive meetings are work-related distractions that can hinder employees’ productivity, while checking social media sites on a personal smartphone at work is an example of a non-work-related distraction.

For these non-work related distractions, managers/leaders’ tolerance limit is 36 minutes a day (Figure 5). Luckily, individual contributors report a mean of 32 minutes per day spent on non-work-related activities. In the scope of a work day, this time to disconnect does not seem to be a hindrance to productivity and may provide an opportunity to recharge.

It is the work-related distractions that managers/leaders are most concerned about and these types are in their control.

Forty-one percent of managers/leaders are more concerned or much more concerned about distractions at work compared to a year ago (Figure 5). Of those that are “about the same concerned as last year,” 41 percent of them agree/strongly agree that distracted employees are a concern for their organization. Although the majority of managers/leaders are not overly concerned with distractions at work hurting organization performance, most agree that there is a real impact on employees and the business (Figure 6). The top rated impact areas are: speed of completion for work, employee engagement, and high-potential development.

n Managers’ Ideal (ideal number of minutes per day for non-work distractions)n Managers’ Tolerance Limit (maximum number of minutes per day for non-work distractions)n Individual Contributors mean self-report of minutes daily spent on non-work

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 480

Figure 5. Amount of daily time in minutes spent on non-work related distractions (managers/leaders n = 246; individual contributors n = 526)

Introduction

Workplace Distractions

Examining Disruptions

Employers’ Concerns

Laissez-Faire Approach

Mindfulness Techniques

Conclusion

Appendices

n Much less concerned

n Less concerned

n About the same

n More concerned

n Much more concerned

5%1%

54%

33%

8%Figure 6. Overall, how concerned is your organization regarding employee distractions compared to a year ago? (n = 307)

Figure 7. In your opinion, how much impact do employees’ distractions have on the following aspects within your organization?

n None n Some n Quite a bit n An extreme amount

Speed of completion (n = 314)

Employee engagement (n = 308)

High-potential development (n = 303)

Business goals (n = 312)

Revenue (n = 299)

Employee productivity (n = 320)

Employee career development (n = 307)

Safety and accident prevention (n = 296)

2%

6%

11%

4%

8%

11%

21%

31%

32%

38%

36%

42%

46%

39%

27%

41%

37%

33%

40%

34%

31%

20%

47%

26%

25%

18%

20%

15%

13%

20%

26%

Not at all Extremely

Maintaining a Laissez-Faire Approach to Employees’ Time

In our study, most organizations take a hands-off or laissez-faire approach to managing workplace distractions. The overwhelming majority believe it is the responsibility of managers (91 percent agree) and individual employees (90 percent agree) to manage workplace distractions. Only 53 percent report it falls in the hands of the HR department. In addition, nearly half of organizations that have policies regarding technology usage at

work say they are leniently applied, with 13 percent who say they are rarely enforced and 35 percent who say they are sometimes enforced (Figure 8).

It is useful to consider the future impact that could result from maintaining a laid-back approach to proactively managing workplace distractions. Millennials who spend more time on personal devices at work may become a future challenge for organizations with a laissez-faire approach.

Some organizations have taken action to modify distractions in order to reduce their impact on performance and productivity. Efforts include limiting the number of projects per employee, banning devices during meetings, asking employees to use landlines more often, and limiting or even banning internal email. In an experiment where email was cut off from employees for five business days, researchers found that participants multitasked less and had a longer task focus, while also lowering stress, as measured by heart rate variability.23 As for managing personal distractions at work, such as personal financial troubles, evidence suggests that Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) substantially support employee wellness and retention. Amongst employees who access their services, absenteeism from work was reduced 52 percent. EAPs can be especially helpful during hard economic periods; one firm saw a 200 percent increase in requests for financial counseling during the recession.24

“Employee distraction isn’t really an issue for us it is more about the fact that they have too many meetings, are too stretched, etc.”

—Survey Respondent

n Rarely enforced

n Sometimes enforced

n Moderately enforced

n Strictly enforced

13%

35%39%

13%Figure 8. Which of the following best describes how your policy or policies regarding technology at work is enforced? (n = 256)

Introduction

Workplace Distractions

Examining Disruptions

Employers’ Concerns

Laissez-Faire Approach

Mindfulness Techniques

Conclusion

Appendices

Figure 9. How effective are the following methods in eliminating or reducing distractions for your employees? (1 = very ineffective to 5 = very effective)

n Effective n Very effective

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Outsourcing non-essential tasks

Reducing the frequency of meetings

Offering safety training

Hiring more people

Limiting the number of projects or assignments

Reducing travel

Implementing standing meetings

Implementing “no device” policy during meetings

Modifying website access at work

Blocking websites at work

Having a policy for technology usage at work

Having a policy for technology usage at home

Employer monitoring internet activity

Employer monitoring smartphone or tablet activity

Employer childcare or eldercare benefits

Offering employee assistance programs

Offering mindfulness training

Offering wellness seminars

Providing personal financial education to employees

Offering time management or productivity training

ORGANIZATIONAL

TECHNOLOGICAL

PERSONAL

53% 20%

53% 18%

55% 15%

54% 13%

54% 10%

59% 21%

54% 25%

54% 23%

61% 11%

55% 14%

56% 8%

53% 7%

43% 31%

51% 11%

45% 15%

46% 8%

43% 6%

38% 5%

68% 9%

40% 0%

125

92

193

123

58

78

112

70

181

190

239

87

155

50

78

236

51

202

131

159

% have a policy or

intervention for it n =

43%

31%

69%

41%

19%

29%

37%

24%

29%

63%

83%

65%

20%

78%

71%

31%

47%

59%

54%

19%

Introduction

Workplace Distractions

Examining Disruptions

Employers’ Concerns

Laissez-Faire Approach

Mindfulness Techniques

Conclusion

Appendices

Using Mindfulness Techniques to Regain Focus in the Modern Workplace

Mindfulness, which is defined as a state of active, open, non-judgmental attention on the present moment, was traditionally discussed only in the fields of philosophy and religious studies. Today, mindfulness is a mainstream practice. Big name companies, such as Apple, Google, McKinsey, Deutsche Bank, and P&G, are implementing mindfulness training.25 The “mindfulness industry” is one of the fastest growing markets in the world.26 Chade-Meng Tan, author of the book, “Search Inside Yourself”, and creator of the mindfulness course of the same title at Google, was able to promote mindfulness by packaging it as an emotional intelligence exercise.27 The creation of the course made it possible to enhance the emotional intelligence of their workforce, especially for positions where emotional intelligence was traditionally not valued.

People look to mindfulness as a solution to managing their increasingly busy and demanding daily lives. Mindfulness was labeled as the antidote to multi-tasking.28 Because distractions are constantly within our work environment, it is important for employees to recognize when their focus is off course and to have the ability to mentally return to their work priority. Mindfulness may be an effective method for helping overwhelmed employees, where people are working too hard and are too distracted to focus on productivity. According to a survey of business and HR professionals, 65 percent say the overwhelmed employee is a challenge, but less than 10 percent know what to do about it.29

Mindfulness encompasses numerous areas of focus in its practice, including stability or continuity of attention, and awareness.30 Several studies have illuminated the positive outcomes of mindfulness meditation in a variety of different settings and populations, such as improving the performance and stress management of soldiers, helping arthritis patients handle stress, and helping doctors improve their performance.31 Mindfulness has been proven to help reduce stress, lower blood pressure, improve memory, and decrease depression and anxiety.32 Mindfulness improves cognition and research findings suggest individuals get better at being mindful with training.33 In emotionally demanding jobs, mindfulness promotes job satisfaction and helps prevent burnout in terms of emotional exhaustion.34 A study of an organization that implemented a low-dose mindfulness-based stress reduction program found that their employees reported reduced perceived stress to a similar degree of traditional programs.35

Mindfulness exercises may also be valuable for leaders and leadership development. Leaders face countless demands and distractions. By using mindfulness techniques, leaders will be able to better reflect on a given situation and focus on making clear, well-thought out decisions necessary to support the progression of their organizations.

Sharon SalzbergAuthor, meditation expert, and co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts

PODCAST—LISTEN HERE

“We are a government military organization. Many of these questions describe characteristics that are not typical of that organizational culture or environment.”

—Survey Respondent

Introduction

Workplace Distractions

Examining Disruptions

Employers’ Concerns

Laissez-Faire Approach

Mindfulness Techniques

Conclusion

Appendices

Mindfulness in the Workplace

In our study, most talent management leaders believe the attributes for mindfulness are important or very important for their employees at work such as: being psychologically present in their work (94 percent), attentive and focused on the task (97 percent), and being conscious of distractions or mind-wandering (89 percent). A diligent mindfulness practice of moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and environment was rated by 56 percent of talent management leaders as important or very important for employees.

Individual contributors who do practice mindfulness techniques report that these activities are effective for managing the distractions in their lives (Figure 10). As most organizations are not ready or wish to use or train mindfulness techniques within their organization (Table 2), the interested individual must seek knowledge and practice as a distraction-remedy in our modern workplace.

“I would benefit greatly from an organizational push toward mindfulness, just not sure if it is perceived as a valuable allocation of resources.”

—Survey Respondent

Figure 10. How effective is this resource or activity for managing distractions? (individual contributors only)

n Effective n Very effective

Journaling for reflection (n = 128)

Practicing yoga (n = 120)

Listening to speakers on mindfulness (n = 107)

Having a regular meditation practice (n = 112)

Taking a self-awareness or emotional intelligence training course (n = 84)

Taking formal mindfulness classes or courses (n = 65)

Reading mindfulness or other emotional intelligence publications (n = 196)

41% 41%

49% 38%

40% 28%

49% 33%

56% 18%

53% 16%

49% 28%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Introduction

Workplace Distractions

Examining Disruptions

Employers’ Concerns

Laissez-Faire Approach

Mindfulness Techniques

Conclusion

Appendices

Top barriers to incorporating mindfulness training or similar practices within organizations cited by leaders/managers are: money (73 percent), time (73 percent), support from senior leadership (71 percent), understanding of the practice (70 percent), and fit into company culture (59 percent). Almost half of talent management leaders agree (44 percent) there is a movement towards increased mindfulness within organizations today and 34 percent agree that their organization is open to incorporating mindfulness courses or activities. A small percentage (15 percent) believes that mindfulness is a fad, but the majority of organizations in our study are not ready to invest in and encourage the practice.

Table 2. Does your organization offer or provide the following for its employees? (n = 315, sample of talent management managers/leaders)

Introduction

Workplace Distractions

Examining Disruptions

Employers’ Concerns

Laissez-Faire Approach

Mindfulness Techniques

Conclusion

Appendices

No, we don’t offer

No, but considering for the future

Yes, we offer

Total Responses

Self-awareness or emotional intelligence training 50% 17% 33% 315

Mindfulness or other emotional intelligence publications (e.g. books, newsletters, videos)

65% 11% 24% 311

Yoga 69% 10% 21% 314

Access to speakers or subject-matter experts on mindfulness 66% 14% 20% 313

Allow time during the workday for reflection 71% 11% 18% 305

Formal mindfulness classes or courses (e.g. Mindful Based Stress Reduction course)

72% 14% 14% 309

A room or space for meditation 78% 8% 14% 311

Promotion of journaling 82% 10% 8% 300

? 4 =

Prescribe and ApplyDistractions at work are an exercise in moderation: we need them throughout the day to allow our minds to reset, but too many damage our ability to be productive. We offer the following recommendations for individuals and organizations to help them navigate that balance.

COMBATING DISTRACTIONS AT THE INDIVIDUAL-LEVEL

n Take Micro-breaks.

• Disconnect from work to spur creativity.

• Schedule non-work distractions throughout the day, such as accessing smart phones and social media.

• Only look at email at certain points during the day.

• Schedule rewards to motivate you to stay on task; such as a dinner reservations, vacations, or entertaining events.

n Schedule your day and workspace effectively.

• The processing capacity of the mind is limited; it is recommended that employees divide their workdays into strict project periods.36

• Do your most important task first thing in the morning when your self-control is the highest.

• Turn off notifications for email and cell phone.

• Move to a quiet space to work on challenging tasks.

n Recharge and refocus with strategic renewal.

• Relax with strategic renewal: workouts, naps, longer sleep hours, time away from the office, frequent vacations, etc. These lead to more productivity and better health.37

n Anticipate disruptions throughout your work day.

• People tend to work faster when they anticipate interruptions by squeezing tasks into shorter intervals of time.

• Refocusing is difficult because people have trained themselves to work on a variety of things at the same time. Visualize a reset device in your mind and say “I need to press the reset button and get back on track” and place emphasis on the redirection off of the distraction.38

• Set reminders to stay on task.

n Use mindfulness during daily tasks.

• Check your breath instead of checking email.

• Complete only one task at once; then move on only after completing the previous.

• Accept that you can never finish everything on the internet, social media, or email.

• Think of others when you email; never reply-all needlessly; limit email sends; send considerate responses.

• Reflect and journal on your work activities to gain greater understanding and self-knowledge.

Introduction

Workplace Distractions

Examining Disruptions

Employers’ Concerns

Laissez-Faire Approach

Mindfulness Techniques

Conclusion

Appendices

LIMITING DISTRACTIONS AT THE ORGANIZATIONAL-LEVEL

n Limit internal email use and encourage use of more direct communication, such as speaking with someone in person or using telephone lines.

n Set times for reading email so employees can focus on work; manage employees’ emails by sending them in batch form at certain times throughout the day.

n Put measures in place to eliminate internet abuse as necessary. This includes deterrent measures (such as company policies), preventative measures (such as password protection), detective measures (such as activity reports), and remedial measures (such as reprimands or termination).39

n Limit the number and length meetings; try to schedule days with no meetings.

n Reduce amount of unnecessary travel.

n Instill a no-device policy during meetings.

n Provide quiet spaces for individuals to work because low-level noise in open-office plans can increase stress and decrease the motivation to accomplish tasks.40

n Keep individuals engaged in their work to decrease boredom.

n Make sure work is not too difficult or overwhelming; tasks that are too challenging may cause employees to seek out distractions and look for a way out of their work.

n Incorporating Mindfulness Techniques

• Embrace the core principles of mindfulness without labeling it “mindfulness.”41 May be necessary to distance terminology from religion or specific belief systems.

• Offer voluntary mindfulness training and use a knowledgeable teacher. There is a limited list of teachers who have received substantial in-depth training.42

• Provide mindfulness, self-awareness, or emotional intelligence resources to your workforce.

Introduction

Workplace Distractions

Examining Disruptions

Employers’ Concerns

Laissez-Faire Approach

Mindfulness Techniques

Conclusion

Appendices

Related Supplemental HCI Content

Workplace Flexibility

The Ten Steps to Become a More Family- Friendly Workplace

Infographic on the Best Practices for Family-Friendly and Flexibility Benefits Implementation

The Family-Friendly Workplace: Integrating Employees’ Work and Life and the Impact on Talent Attraction and Retention

Wellness

Engaging a Diverse Workforce to Embrace Wellness

Why a Healthy Workforce is Good for Business

Workout and Thrive in the Workplace—Creating a Culture of Success

Tackling the “S” Word

Employee Assistance Programs

Integrate, Don’t Communicate: Increasing Employee Engagement and ROI

Mindfulness

Emotional Intelligence Tools to Raise Focus and Performance

Four Steps to Mindful Action

Cultivating Leadership Charisma

The Leader Within—Leadership Emotional Intelligence

Getting to Know You

The Search for Brilliance: Five Steps to Spark Your Own Authentic Leadership Journey

Introduction

Workplace Distractions

Examining Disruptions

Employers’ Concerns

Laissez-Faire Approach

Mindfulness Techniques

Conclusion

Appendices

Webcast

Research

Keynote

Blog

Introduction

Workplace Distractions

Examining Disruptions

Employers’ Concerns

Laissez-Faire Approach

Mindfulness Techniques

Conclusion

Appendices

A. Endnotes

1. Fried, I. (2014, February 12). As more workers take their smart phones to work, business use of mobile apps rises sharply. Recode. Retrieved from http://recode.net/2014/02/12/business-use-of-mobile-apps-continues-to-rise-while-iphone-gains-ground-in-q4/

2. Silverman, R., S. (2012, December 11). Workplace distractions: Here’s why you won’t finish this article. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887324339204578173252223022388?mg=re-no64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424127887324339204578173252223022388.html

3. Rogers, K. (2011, May 20). Survey: Distracted workers costing companies millions. Fox Business. http://smallbusiness.foxbusiness.com/technology-web/2011/05/20/distracted-employees-survey/

4. American Psychological Association. (2006, March 20). Multitasking: Switching costs. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/research/action/multitask.aspx

5. Ophir, E., Nass, C., & Wagner, A. D. (2009). Cognitive control in media multitaskers. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 106(37), 15583-15587.

6. Wilson, T. D., Reinhard, D. A., Westgate, E. C., Gilbert, D. T., Ellerbeck, N., Hahn, C., & Shaked, A. (2014). Just think: The challenges of the disengaged mind. Science, 345(6192), 75-77.

7. Levitin, D.J. (9 August, 2014). Hit the reset button in your brain. New York Times. Retrieved from: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/10/ opinion/sunday/hit-the-reset-button-in-your-brain.html

8. See Note 2.

9. Brooks, C. (2014, February 19). Using your smartphone at work isn’t a bad thing (and it could actually make your happier). Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/19/smartphone-at-work- happiness-well-being-employees-workers_n_4817169.html

10. Lesiuk, T. (2005). The effect of music listening on work performance. Psychology of Music, 33(2), 173-191.

11. Paul, A., M. (2012, September 12). Does listening to music while working make you less productive? Time. Retrieved from http://ideas.time.com/2012/09/12/does-listening-to-music-while-working-make-you-less-productive/

12. Fisher, A. (2013, June 12). The three biggest workplace distractions. Fortune. Retrieved from http://fortune.com/2013/06/12/the-three- biggest-workplace-distractions/

13. Davis, M. C., Leach, D. J., & Clegg, C. W. (2011). 6 The Physical Environment of the Office: Contemporary and Emerging Issues. International Review of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 26(1), 193-237.

14. Maher, A., & von Hippel, C. (2005). Individual differences in employee reactions to open-plan offices. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 25(2), 219-229.

15. Griffiths, M. (2010). Internet abuse and internet addiction in the workplace. Journal of Workplace Learning, 22(7), 463-472.

16. Conner, C. (2013, September 7). Who wastes the most time at work? Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/cherylsnapp conner/2013/09/07/who-wastes-the-most-time-at-work/

17. Chui, M., Manyika, J., Bughin, J., Dobbs, R., Roxburgh, C., Sarrazin, H., Sands, G., & Westergren, M. (2012, July). The social economy: Unlocking value and productivity through social technologies. Retrieved from http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/high_tech_ telecoms_internet/the_social_economy

18. Thompson, C. (2014, August 28). End the tyranny of 24/7 email. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/29/ opinion/end-the-tyranny-of-24-7-email.html

19. Meeker, M. & Wu, L. (2013). Internet Trends D11 Conference. Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield, Byers. Retrieved from http://www.kpcb.com/ insights/2013-internet-trends

20. Mullaney, T. (2014, January 30). Nurses who use a smartphone before bed may be more distracted at work, researchers say. McKnight’s. Retrieved from http://www.mcknights.com/nurses-who-use-a-smart-phone-before-bed-may-be-more-distracted-at-work-researchers-say/article/331680/

21. Eliav, L. (2014, June 5). Is financial stress affecting your workforce? [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://hrpost.hellowallet.com/ engagement/financial-stress-affecting-workforce-productivity/

22. Huffman, M. (2014, May 19). Survey: Employee’s money worries huge workplace distraction. Consumer Affairs. Retrieved from http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/survey-employees-money-worries- huge-workplace-distraction-051914.html

23. Mark, G., Voida, S., & Cardello, A. (2012, May). A pace not dictated by electrons: an empirical study of work without email. In Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 555-564. ACM.

24. Zamosky, L. (2014, June 15). A little-known worker benefit: Employee assistance programs. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-healthcare-watch-20140615-story.html

25. Hansen, D. (2012, October 31). A guide to mindfulness at work. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/drewhansen/ 2012/10/31/a-guide-to-mindfulness-at-work/

26. Bersin, J. (2014, March 15). Why companies fail to engage today’s workforce: The overwhelmed employee. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/joshbersin/2014/03/15/why-companies-fail-to-engage-todays-workforce-the-overwhelmed-employee/

27. Baer, D. (2014, August 5). Here’s What Google Teaches Employees In Its ‘Search Inside Yourself’ Course. Business Insider. Retrieved from: http://www.businessinsider.com/search-inside-yourself-googles- life-changing-mindfulness-course-2014-8#ixzz3AlOwwz7W

28. Baer, D. (2014, February 7). Why mindfulness is the antidote to multitasking. Business Insider. Retrieved from http://www.fast company.com/3026119/leadership-now/why-mindfulness-is-the- antidote-to-multitasking

29. See Note 26.

30. Brown, K. W., Ryan, R. M., & Creswell, J. D. (2007). Mindfulness: Theoretical foundations and evidence for its salutary effects. Psychological Inquiry, 18(4), 211-237.

31. Chan, A., L. (2013, April 8). Mindfulness meditation benefits: 20 reasons why it’s good for your mental and physical health. Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/08/mind-fulness-meditation-benefits-health_n_3016045.html

32. See Note 25.

33. Zeidan, F., Johnson, S. K., Diamond, B. J., David, Z., & Goolkasian, P. (2010). Mindfulness meditation improves cognition: evidence of brief mental training. Consciousness and cognition, 19(2), 597-605.

34. Hülsheger, U. R., Alberts, H. J., Feinholdt, A., & Lang, J. W. (2013). Benefits of mindfulness at work: The role of mindfulness in emotion regulation, emotional exhaustion, and job satisfaction. Journal of Applied Psychology, 98(2), 310.

35. Klatt, M. D., Buckworth, J., & Malarkey, W. B. (2008). Effects of low-dose mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR-ld) on working adults. Health Education & Behavior, 6(3), 601-14

36. See Note 7.

37. Schwartz, T. (2013, February 9). Relax! You’ll be more productive. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/10/ opinion/sunday/relax-youll-be-more-productive.html

38. Zimmerman, E. (2011, November 19). Distracted? It’s time to hit the reset button. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/20/jobs/to-avoid-distractions-at-work-hit-the-reset-button.html?_r=1&

39. See Note 20.

40. Bindley, K. (2012, December 13). Distractions at work: Employees increasingly losing focus; some companies combating the problem. Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/13/work-distractions-employees-lose-focus- companies-problem_n_2294054.html

41. LaBarre, P. (2011, December 30). Developing mindful leaders [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://blogs.hbr.org/2011/12/developing- mindful-leaders/

42. Crane, R. S., Kuyken, W., Williams, J. M. G., Hastings, R. P., Cooper, L., & Fennell, M. J. (2012). Competence in teaching mindfulness-based courses: concepts, development and assessment. Mindfulness, 3(1), 76-84.

Introduction

Workplace Distractions

Examining Disruptions

Employers’ Concerns

Laissez-Faire Approach

Mindfulness Techniques

Conclusion

Appendices

B. Survey Respondent DemographicsMTURK SAMPLE

(N = 497)HCI SAMPLE

(N = 410)C-level (CEO, CHRO, CIO, etc.) 1% 10%

Executive Vice President/ Senior Vice President 0% 4%

Vice President 0% 10%Director 0% 25%

Manager/Team Leader 0% 30%Analyst 8% 8%

Team Member 92% 13%

GEOGRAPHIC REGION (N = 895)North America 92%Latin America 1%

Middle East/Africa 2%Eastern Europe -

Asia 3%Oceania 1%

Western Europe 1%

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES (N = 865)

Less than 50 18%

≥50 and ≤ 100 11%

≥100 and ≤ 1,000 24%

≥1,000 and ≤ 10,000 25%

≥10,000 and ≤ 50,000 11%

> 50,000 11%

INDUSTRY (N = 892)Business/Professional Services 13%

Financial Services/Real Estate/Insurance 10%Health care 9%

Retail 9%Government 7%

IT Hardware/Software 7%Education 6%

Auto/Industrial/Manufacturing 5%Food & Beverage/Consumer Goods 5%

Media & Entertainment/Travel/Leisure 4%Non-Profit 4%

Telecommunications 4%Chemicals/Energy/Utilities 3%

Construction 3%Higher-Education 3%

Transportation/Warehousing 3%Aerospace & Defense 2%

Bio/Pharmaceuticals/Life Sciences 2%

Travel 1%

MTURK SAMPLE (N = 486)

HCI SAMPLE (N = 410)

Executive Management 0% 10%Human Resources/

Talent Management 1% 52%

Learning and Development 3% 21%Recruiting 1% 2%Marketing 4% 1%

Sales 10% 1%IT 11% 1%

Finance/Accounting 5% 1%Customer Service 24% 0%

Research and Development 5% 1%Operations 9% 3%

Manufacturing 5% 0%Legal 1% 0%Other 20% 5%

Introduction

Workplace Distractions

Examining Disruptions

Employers’ Concerns

Laissez-Faire Approach

Mindfulness Techniques

Conclusion

Appendices

C. About the Research

Between July 31 and August 25, 2014, we collected data from two samples to form the basis of this survey research. We distributed a link via e-mail to a 44-item questionnaire to HCI members who opted into the HCI Survey Panel and into electronic mailings associated with the HCI Talent Communities of Learning and Development and Management and Leadership. The research survey was promoted on HCI’s social media channels. In addition, we posted an 17-item questionnaire on Amazon.com‘s Mechanical Turk website. Employed, individual contributors completed that questionnaire. Respondents who first received the HCI survey but were in individual contributor roles were directed to the shorter questionnaire. The main difference was that the longer questionnaire for managers/leaders included questions about the organization as a whole and various policies in effect. The shorter questionnaire for individual contributors asked about distractions on the individual-level. Both questionnaires collected demographic information. Respondents who completed the questionnaire form the results of this research for a total sample of 897. See the demographics section for the respondent demographics.

In addition, HCI researchers conducted in-depth interviews with experts on the topic, including:

n Gloria Mark, professor of informatics at the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences, University of California, Irvine

n Sharon Salzberg, author, meditation expert, and co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts

n Joanne Colautti, associate director, Office of the Global Chairman, KPMG

To supplement these methods, HCI researchers reviewed relevant information from a variety of secondary sources, including academic journal articles, white papers, articles, books, blogs, and case studies. The results of this questionnaire, subject-matter expert interviews, and secondary sources form the basis of this research. The findings in this report represent the views of the respondents who were surveyed.

Amazon.com Mechanical Turk

Distribution

Employed, Individual

Contributors Roles

Individual Contributor Roles

Managerial/Leadership Roles

HCI Distribution

44 items, 322 completed

responses

17 items, 88 completed

responses

17 items, 487 completed

responses

Introduction

Workplace Distractions

Examining Disruptions

Employers’ Concerns

Laissez-Faire Approach

Mindfulness Techniques

Conclusion

Appendices

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