Success Advice
4 Simple Ways You Can Regain Your Focus at Work
It’s hard to get work done at work. Office chatter, phone calls, and the familiar smartphone “ping” are hard to ignore in an open office. You’re also contending with email and Slack notifications flying across your screen. Your attention is everywhere and nowhere.
These distractions make it difficult to concentrate and produce quality work. There’s reason to believe office life will change. Distractive environments aren’t conducive to the long stretches of uninterrupted time workers need to think and create.
Until that day arrives, millions of workers need ways to make due. So I’ve come up with several ways you can regain your focus at work:
1. Find a quiet place to work
You’ll be amazed at the amount of quality work you complete in just one quiet, uninterrupted hour. To get that hour, you’ll need to escape the chaos of the open office.
There are options even for workplaces with limited space. Here are several suggestions:
- Grab a conference room early in the morning or late in the afternoon, when it’s less likely to be occupied.
- Find a vacant office with a door.
- Go to the office lobby, which is usually only occupied by the receptionist, and crank out a bit of work.
The effort to find a quiet place is worth it. You’ll get far more done in one hour in a quiet, distraction-free environment, than two to three hours in a noisy office.
2. Protect your time
Identify your most productive time of the day, and then protect it like gold. Use this time to complete difficult tasks, like writing or programming. Save less demanding tasks, such as checking email and attending meetings, for non-peak hours.
One way to protect your peak working hours is to block your calendar, so colleagues don’t inundate it with meetings. Another is to avoid all distractions: resist checking text messages, making phone calls, and scanning social media feeds.
“Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.” – William Penn
3. Stop reacting
We feel compelled to constantly check and respond to email, text messages, and social media posts. This obsession has bled into the work world. It’s common to see employees working on one computer monitor and responding to Slack messages on the other.
However, reacting to digital stimuli at a moment’s notice is often unnecessary. Few things are so important that they need an instantaneous response. Plus, research shows that you may sacrifice up to 40% of your productivity by moving between tasks. So either write the report or respond to messages—don’t try to do both at the same time.
An alternative is to be proactive. Start your day with a plan that designates periods of work and periods of communication. For example, “9 A.M. to 11 A.M draft report” and “11 A.M. to 11:30 A.M. check emails and respond to messages.” When you stop reacting, you can start focusing and producing great work.
4. Work from home
It’s becoming more common for companies to offer the opportunity to work remotely. Try it, so you can work without distractions imposed on you.
If your company doesn’t offer remote opportunities, it’s still worth asking your boss if you can try working one day from home to see how it goes. Assuming your boss agrees, keep track of what you accomplish. Your productivity will likely soar when you’re not working in a distractive office environment. You’ll want to share this information with your boss to help secure a regular work from home schedule.
Above all, eliminating digital and physical clutter is one of the best ways to regain your focus at work. Only keep the essential materials on your desk and computer screen, so you’re not tempted by distractions. Move your smartphone out of sight, with the sound and notifications turned off. Close all digital communication tools, like email and instant messenger, so you can focus on the task at hand.
“Starve your distraction. Feed your focus.”
There are undoubtedly many distractions to contend with in the current workplace. However, there are some factors within your control. A few small changes can increase your focus at work, thereby improving the quality of your work and overall productivity.
What is one of the ways you keep focused at work? Comment below and let us know!
Image courtesy of Twenty20.com
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In workplaces around the world, there’s a growing gap between employers and employees and between superiors and their teams. It’s a common refrain: “People don’t leave companies, they leave bad bosses.”
While there are, of course, cases where management could do better, this isn’t just a “bad boss” problem. The relationship between leaders and employees is complex. Instead of assigning blame, we should explore practical solutions to build stronger, healthier workplaces where everyone thrives.
Why This Gap Exists
Every workplace needs someone to guide, supervise, and provide feedback. That’s essential for productivity and performance. But because there are usually far more employees than managers, dissatisfaction, fair or not, spreads quickly.
What if, instead of focusing on blame, we focused on building trust, empathy, and communication? This is where modern leadership and human-centered management can make a difference.
Tools and Techniques to Bridge the Gap
Here are proven strategies leaders and employees can use to foster stronger relationships and create a workplace where people actually want to stay.
1. Practice Mutual Empathy
Both managers and employees need to recognize they are ultimately on the same team. Leaders have to balance people and performance, and often face intense pressure to hit targets. Employees who understand this reality are more likely to cooperate and problem-solve collaboratively.
2. Maintain Professional Boundaries
Superiors should separate personal issues from professional decision-making. Consistency, fairness, and integrity build trust, and trust is the foundation of a motivated team.
3. Follow the Golden Rule
Treat people how you would like to be treated. This simple principle encourages compassion and respect, two qualities every effective leader must demonstrate.
4. Avoid Micromanagement
Micromanaging stifles creativity and damages morale. Great leaders see themselves as partners, not just bosses, and treat their teams as collaborators working toward a shared goal.
5. Empower Employees to Grow
Empowerment means giving employees responsibility that matches their capacity, and then trusting them to deliver. Encourage them to take calculated risks, learn from mistakes, and problem-solve independently. If something goes wrong, turn it into a learning opportunity, not a reprimand.
6. Communicate in All Directions
Communication shouldn’t just be top-down. Invite feedback, create open channels for suggestions, and genuinely listen to what your people have to say. Healthy upward communication closes gaps before they become conflicts.
7. Overcome Insecurities
Many leaders secretly fear being outshone by younger, more tech-savvy employees. Instead of resisting, embrace the chance to learn from them. Humility earns respect and helps the team innovate faster.
8. Invest in Coaching and Mentorship
True leaders grow other leaders. Provide mentorship, career guidance, and stretch opportunities so employees can develop new skills. Leadership is learned through experience, but guided experience is even more powerful.
9. Eliminate Favoritism
Avoid cliques and office politics. Decisions should be based on facts and fairness, not gossip. Objective, transparent decision-making builds credibility.
10. Recognize Efforts Promptly
Recognition often matters more than rewards. Publicly appreciate employees’ contributions and do so consistently and fairly. A timely “thank you” can be more motivating than a quarterly bonus.
11. Conduct Thoughtful Exit Interviews
When employees leave, treat it as an opportunity to learn. Keep interviews confidential and use the insights to improve management practices and culture.
12. Provide Leadership Development
Train managers to lead, not just supervise. Leadership development programs help shift mindsets from “command and control” to “coach and empower.” This transformation has a direct impact on morale and retention.
13. Adopt Soft Leadership Principles
Today’s workforce, largely millennials and Gen Z, value collaboration over hierarchy. Soft leadership focuses on partnership, mutual respect, and shared purpose, rather than rigid top-down control.
The Bigger Picture: HR’s Role
Mercer’s global research highlights five key priorities for organizations:
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Build diverse talent pipelines
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Embrace flexible work models
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Design compelling career paths
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Simplify HR processes
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Redefine the value HR brings
The challenge? Employers and employees often view these priorities differently. Bridging that perception gap is just as important as bridging the relational gap between leaders and staff.
Treat Employees Like Associates, Not Just Staff
When you treat employees like partners, they bring their best selves to work. HR leaders must develop strategies to keep talent engaged, empowered, and prepared for the future.
Organizational success starts with people, always. Build the relationship with your team first, and the results will follow.
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