In a hyperconnected world full of demands, managers are faced with a major challenge: maintaining optimal concentration to achieve their objectives. Coach and trainer in time management and personal organization, Marine Gandouet explores the different strategies and tools that allow managers to maintain their concentration. Or even amplify it.
In the digital age, are we still really able to maintain our focus on what is essential? How to be a proactive manager with your team without falling into the trap of multiple requests? How to stay focused without getting exhausted?
But, first, what is concentration?
Concentration could be defined as the ability to do only one thing at a time and complete it.
Did you know that it takes 23 minutes and 15 seconds to concentrate again when you have been interrupted in an action? This is the result of a study conducted by the University of Irvine in California.
In cognitive science, concentration works when 3 criteria are met :
- Selective attention : choose a target
- Inhibition capacity : remove distractions
- Sustained attention : maintain over time
The main sources that impair concentration are: noise, fatigue, stress, the work environment, interruptions, personal problems and lack of social interactions. Possibly linked to hyperconnectivity.
Requests and their consequences on concentration
On average, each person checks their phone 80 to 150 times a day, according to the latest studies. Large figures, but which clearly show to what extent smartphones disrupt concentration. If we add requests from employees, email notifications on the computer and all other external requests, staying focused is a challenge!
For sophrologist Cécile Vilatte, there is three ways to manage requests.
- Bring a immediate response, by stopping the activity in progress, with a strong impact on concentration.
- Negotiate a postponement of the request, which causes a medium impact, because negotiating takes time.
- Program, that is to say, organize yourself so as not to be interrupted. In this case, there is no impact because there is no interruption.
The consequences of these repeated interruptions are numerous.
Individual consequences…
First of all, it’s time wasted to the detriment of all the other tasks on your calendar or to-do list. Your brain no longer has the capacity to manage everything at once and stay on track. Repeated interruptions can therefore lead to mental overload.
In addition, having to stop in the evening can be experienced as difficult, when there is so much left to do. This adds a feeling of frustration at the end of the day. Or evenanguish, knowing that the next day you have to start the day with the unfinished list from the day before and that other activities will be added to it.
When the feeling of having “your head underwater” is present, it is possible to lose meaning in what you are doing. There demotivation can then appear.
…to collective impact
When you are a manager, there are also collective consequences. For example : forgetting to keep a course for your team, with clear and shared objectives, or neglect the feedback.
All this put together promotes burn-out. It is a vicious circle that must be identified as quickly as possible to reverse the trend and create a virtuous circle.
Saying Hello to Interruptions in 6 Steps
I was able to identify 6 steps that help get rid of interruptions. What is important is to first understand the why of a behavior. Then, it’s determining how to respond differently to a deep need. For example, that of staying connected.
1/ List sources of distraction
Take the example of LinkedIn notifications.
2/ Quantify the number of distractions per day
I receive on average 30 per day. That's how many times I look at my phone and wander away from what I'm doing.
3/ Identify the benefits of having fewer distractions
I would feel more efficient.
4/ Understand the needs associated with distractions
I realize that going to LinkedIn allows me to stay up to date and feel responsive.
5/ Look for new avenues that meet needs
I might schedule 15 minutes at 12:15 p.m. and then 15 minutes again at 4 p.m. to go to LinkedIn. This would allow me to meet my needs, over selected and limited periods of time.
6/ Set up your new shield
I then feel aligned with removing notifications, because I have chosen the times that suit me best to enjoy this social network.
How to cultivate your concentration?
Beyond the issue of demands and other interruptions, concentration is also a skill that can be perfected.
An organization serving your concentration
You can ask yourself about your operating habits based on the sentences below.
If you answered no to one or more items, these are undoubtedly areas for improvement.
An action plan to improve your concentration
Here are some practical tips and tools to quickly take action.
1/ Limit interruptions
- Define dedicated slots to check your emails and social networks.
- Favor a proactive approach. Identify the employees who contact you on a daily basis several times a day and define dedicated time for them. Ask your teams to write down their questions and comments to send them to you at the appropriate time. During a weekly update, for example.
- Clear your head with a dedicated checklist and/or note-taking software.
- Set up a digital perspective : remove most of your mobile notifications as well as desktop email notifications.
- Communicate to your teams this organizational change, to give meaning and show them the benefits for you and, in turn, for them.
2/ Dedicated tools
| Forest | Time management application that allows you to plan 25-minute work sessions during which the user must stay focused on their task. During this period, the app blocks notifications and encourages the user to stay focused. If it succeeds, a virtual tree is planted in the application. |
| Freedom | Application that allows you to block access to certain websites or applications for a specific period. The user can then concentrate on their task without being distracted by notifications or social networks. |
| Focus@Will | Application designed to stimulate concentration and block distractions with a selection of music. |
| Offtime | Application that allows you to schedule periods of offline time during which the user can block calls, messages and notifications. It is possible to define exceptions for certain contacts or applications. |
| RescueTime | Time management app that tracks time spent on different websites and apps. It also provides detailed reports on time usage. The user can set time goals to avoid distractions and maximize productivity. |
3/ A tidy and pleasant office environment
Three key factors must be taken into consideration in an office layout favorable to concentration and efficiency:
- Natural lighting
- The ideal temperature
- Limitation of noise and movement
If you do not have the control to act on these three key factors (in open space, in particular), you can surely:
- Have a clear desk surface
- Clear your desk of anything not related to what you do
- Have all the tools you need on a daily basis at your fingertips
- Have several drawers, mail bins or magazine racks (supplies, “To do” folder, filing, etc.)
So, unless you work in flex office, you can invest and personalize your workspace so that it is inspiring and motivating.
When a person has control over the layout of their work environment and can decorate it to their liking, their productivity and level of job satisfaction can increase significantly, up to 32 %.
Study from the School of Psychology at the University of Exeter in England.
Concentration is severely tested in the professional environment. Becoming aware of the different daily interruptions is already a big first step. Good news: for most of them, you have the power to reduce them and exclude them completely. All that remains is to cultivate your concentration on a daily basis. There are many options: it's up to you to explore and find what suits you best!
