America’s employees have reported increased distraction in 2022 while on the clock. In fact, career-software company Zippia estimates that 70% of employees are distracted on the daily. As the season of Summer Fridays and out-of-office messages winds down, it’s essential that we find new ways to stay focused.
After more than a decade of helping companies succeed through simplification — and writing a leadership book about it — I’ve discovered several small yet powerful ways to make simplicity your operating system. Whether you’re remote, in-person or hybrid, you can stay in the flow of work by experimenting with the tactics below.
1. Add subtraction into strategic planning. With planning season underway, many of us are considering new tactics and programs to achieve our 2023 goals. Like financial services company State Street, I’m a fan of removing one tactic or program for each new one that’s added. This method encourages focus and discourages the clutter that builds up when companies use last year’s deck to create next year’s plan. For better focus, long-term planning should consider what you plan to subtract not merely what you plan to add.
2. Schedule (or participate in) one Hackathon Friday every month. Not just for tech companies anymore, hackathons are a fixture at pharmaceutical company Novartis. Past competitions have centered around digital healthcare solutions for individual countries; best practices for ending Europe’s cancer crisis; and solving data- science challenges in Slovenia.
In your own company, hackathons can focus the entire organization on a pressing issue with the goal of developing multiple solutions. By expanding the idea pool beyond the people or org that’s responsible for implementation, you’re also tapping into a deeper, more diverse set of perspectives and experiences.
3. Try the “Yes…if” approach. While its roots are in improv theatre, the phrase “Yes…and” has been adapted by innovators into “Yes…if.” And its usage has been found to be more conducive to the creative flow than “No, because….” The next time you’re providing feedback on a creative or innovative idea, try rephrasing your reflexive ”no” into “yes…if.”
For example, instead of saying “No, because we don’t have the bandwidth,” try saying “Yes, if…we can pause X program to free up teams.” Rather than “No, that idea is too risky,” rephrase your reply as “Yes, if…you have market research that justifies that risk.” And lastly, when you find yourself one breath away from saying “No, because we don’t have budget for this,” replace it with “Yes, if…we can use funds allocated to Y or Z to experiment or test this idea.”
Removing distractions and improving your daily focus does take a measure of discipline, but by choosing language that encourages creative flow and pointing your whole org toward a common problem to solve, you’re acting with intention. And the less clutter that surrounds your strategic plan, the more concentration you and your teams will have to execute on strategy. While these tactics are designed to maximize productivity this autumn, I hope you’re currently focused on the best route to the beach or a new grilling technique to try this Labor Day weekend.
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