Finding Time to Think and Focus

Executives’ days are typically splintered — one-minute conversations, two-hour meetings, social chit chat, a 15-minute catch up with a direct report, a 30-minute video call and so on.

Executives are finding it more difficult to focus their attention and energy on a single issue, person or activity. In spite of this, and because of it, carving out time to think and focus remains critical to the success of any executive.

Indeed, evidence is mounting from research that “our hyper-connected world is making it difficult to think”. First, technology has the capacity to overwhelm people with information from multiple sources. Second, the speed of today’s communication technologies encourages people to think that it is “good” to make decisions faster, respond more quickly to issues, and get projects done faster. Slow is equated with “bad”.

We have also seen increasing numbers of leaders concerned about their ability to multi-task. Indeed, some see multi-tasking as a key part of their success. Work is defined as skimming from one topic to another, in a vortex of emails, voicemails and text messages, while moving from one short meeting or conversation to another. Our experience indicates, however, that this approach to work — operating in mini slices of time and constantly multi-tasking — is at times useful but is not a prerequisite for success at senior levels.

In this fractured working life, it is even more critical that executives find time for deep focus. This enables them to step back and reflect thoughtfully on a business issue, on how they are doing, or on a particularly knotty problem, without distractions. This focused time has a different quality from checking off a to-do list or reacting to what others are saying or doing around one.

Executives have told us about some of the approaches that have helped them find time to focus:

• Changing the physical environment (e.g. working away from a cluttered desk)
• Engaging in conversation/dialogue with a trusted colleague, friend, mentor or coach
• Writing out pros and cons
• Going for a walk
• Working half a day at home
• Turn off Email alerts and review at specific times of day

Whatever the approach, finding time to focus and think pays dividends with greater clarity and perspective and renewed energy.