Pay attention to paying attention and don’t be distracted

Research shows that for 47 per cent of our waking hours our attention is wandering away from what we are doing.

Research shows that for 47 per cent of our waking hours our attention is wandering involuntarily away from what we are doing.

As a matter of fact, you may not have the attentional capacity to finish this article before getting distracted by your phone, email or thoughts about what you will do next.

We have entered an attention economy. Productivity used to be seen as a result of time, effort and skills. Today calm, clear and focused attention is equally, if not more, important. Leaders are hit particularly hard because they badly need focused attention to absorb information and make good decisions. In short, for leaders, attention is foundational. But we don’t pay enough attention to paying attention.

The good news is you can increase your attention. Researchers find even small adjustments in behaviour can enhance your attentional capacity significantly within weeks. Mindfulness training and mindful ways of going about your work is the foundation.

Based on thousands of workshops with leaders in large organisations, there are three popular tips to become a more mindful and attentive leader, and get a head start in an attention economy.

Researchers have found that our brain is plastic. It takes shape according to how we use it.

For every moment we allow our mind to be distracted and wander, we become more distracted. And for every moment we pay attention, at will, we become more attentive.

Mindfulness is a simple and active way of enhancing your attentional capacity. Start your day with a 10-minute mindfulness practice to boost your brain’s attentional networks for the day.

Recent studies show there is a direct correlation between your level of multi-tasking and the thickness of your prefrontal cortex, the home of your attention and executive function. Multi-tasking is by far the biggest threat to attention and mindfulness.

Mindfulness is the opposite of multi-tasking, and it can be practised while you work. Let these two rules guide the way you pay attention to your tasks during the entire day:

• Focus on what you chose.

• Choose your distractions mindfully.

In other words, be aware of where your attention is, moment by moment.

And do one thing at a time.

Back-to-back meetings are the new normal for many leaders. This leaves little time for preparation, consolidation and an overview. Applying mindful principles to meetings has proven to increase meeting productivity and overall engagement.

If we arrive at a meeting with our mind wandering, still occupied with the previous meeting, we are wasting our time. Mindfulness practice will allow you to better clear the mental hard drive and be more present and focused.

Take two minutes before entering any meeting to practice mindfulness. You can do so while you are walking to the meeting.

Even better, let the first two minutes of the meeting be silent, allowing everybody to arrive mentally. And remember to end the meeting five minutes before the hour to allow all a mindful transition to the next meeting.

We have entered an attention economy and the demands are not going to decrease. Mindfulness may well be the competitive advantage in the attention economy.

Take control of your own attentional equity; test the tips for 14 days and see what happens.

Gillian Coutts is a directors at the Potential Project and co-author of One Second Ahead.