{"id":757,"date":"2012-10-29T13:06:43","date_gmt":"2012-10-29T18:06:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sanfordrose.wpengine.com\/brighton\/professional-attention-deficit-disorder\/"},"modified":"2012-10-29T13:06:43","modified_gmt":"2012-10-29T18:06:43","slug":"professional-attention-deficit-disorder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sanfordrose.com\/shapirosearch\/professional-attention-deficit-disorder\/","title":{"rendered":"Professional Attention Deficit Disorder"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In the manufacturing economy, time was the currency. Systems were designed for maximum efficiency, and effectiveness was simply how much time could be dedicated to the process. The assembly line is a perfect example! In today\u2019s information environment, directing our attention in the right places for the right amount of time and focus is the key to effectiveness.<\/p>\n<p>Curious if you suffer from Professional ADD?\u00a0 If you have already been distracted at some point during the first paragraph, no assessment necessary!<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You are frequently distracted from your current activity, by others, or by your own lack of focus<\/li>\n<li>You finish your day and are surprised how little you actually accomplished despite the fact that you felt \u201cbusy\u201d all day<\/li>\n<li>You have a to-do list of important items but always seem to be distracted with more \u201curgent\u201d activities<\/li>\n<li>You find it difficult to fully focus on another person without thinking of other matters<\/li>\n<li>You check and respond to your email, text messages, instant messages, etc. constantly<\/li>\n<li>You feel a sense of \u201cinformation overload\u201d frequently<\/li>\n<li>You think you are a great multi-tasker<\/li>\n<li>You are addicted to urgency and pride yourself on being the best \u201cfire fighter\u201d<\/li>\n<li>You love being in the \u201czone\u201d but are frustrated by how infrequently you truly find yourself in that place<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>If you checked the box to most of these then you may be suffering from Corporate Attention Deficit Disorder. The good news is that it is curable and you can fill your own prescription!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Create Golden Hours<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Establish certain times each day that no one can distract you or each other. The only distractions or interruptions should be emergencies; educate your environment when it is best to get with you by phone or in person for activities that are not both urgent and critical.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Loosen your Electronic Leash<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>At least four times per day, set 45-minute time blocks where email, instant messages, and any other electronic distractions are turned off.\u00a0 Each time block is dedicated to fully focusing on a specific activity that you have predetermined for that time. Very rarely is anything so urgent and critical that it cannot wait for a reply within an hour; you may even find that issues solve themselves without you having to!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Prioritize Long-Term Projects<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Make a list of all your current important projects that are not urgent. Now, assign at least two one-hour slots a week to do them. Keep these appointments with yourself the same way that you would with a client; do not allow yourself to book anything during those times unless it is a true emergency. If you don\u2019t begin to do some of the strategic work now, when will you? An attic is easier cleaned a few boxes a week rather than the entire attic in a weekend.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Minimize Multi-tasking<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There are some times when multi-tasking and bouncing from one activity to the next is both unavoidable and necessary. However, the majority of times you find yourself busy, multi-tasking, and rushed are self-created and counter-productive in the long run. Practice being fully present and engage in one activity at a time. If someone stops by your office while you are typing an email, ask them to send you an email to schedule some time so that you can truly focus on their needs at a time that is mutually convenient.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Create Blocks of Similar Activities<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A doctor does not check emails in the middle of surgery, and a lawyer is not accepting incoming calls while the opposing counsel is grilling his client. What makes the critical responsibilities of your role less deserving of your own concentration? We all like diversity and variety, but do your best to plan activities in such a way that complementary activities can be done in groups.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Find the Right Work\/Life Balance<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Just as your time at work should have focus and intensity in each activity; so should your time away from work. Being fully present in all your interactions includes those outside of work. When you find your mind drifting to work related activities while with friends or family, remind yourself to focus back on the people or activity at hand.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Finding People Who Make a Difference<sup>\u00ae<\/sup><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The solutions provided in our SRA Update are simply a half dozen best practices to help you and your team alleviate Professional ADD. Fully engaged employees can play a tremendous part in the growth and success of a company, and for more than 50 years, Sanford Rose Associates\u00ae has been committed to \u201cFinding people who make a difference\u00ae\u201d for its clients. To learn more about successful strategies for combating Professional ADD, reach out to your Sanford Rose Associates<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> executive search consultant today.<\/p>\n<p><em>-Karen Schmidt<\/em><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the manufacturing economy, time was the currency. Systems were designed for maximum efficiency, and effectiveness was simply how much time could be dedicated to the process. The assembly line is a perfect example! In today\u2019s information environment, directing our attention in the right places for the right amount of time and focus is the key to effectiveness. Curious if you suffer from Professional ADD?\u00a0 If you have already been distracted at some point during the first paragraph, no assessment necessary! You are frequently distracted from your current activity, by others, or by your own lack of focus You finish your day and are surprised how little you actually accomplished despite the fact that you felt \u201cbusy\u201d all day You have a to-do list of important items but always seem to be distracted with more \u201curgent\u201d activities You find it difficult to fully focus on another person without thinking of other matters You check and respond to your email, text messages, instant messages, etc. constantly You feel a sense of \u201cinformation overload\u201d frequently You think you are a great multi-tasker You are addicted to urgency and pride yourself on being the best \u201cfire fighter\u201d You love being in the \u201czone\u201d but are frustrated by how infrequently you truly find yourself in that place &nbsp; If you checked the box to most of these then you may be suffering from Corporate Attention Deficit Disorder. The good news is that it is curable and you can fill your own prescription! Create Golden Hours Establish certain times each day that no one can distract you or each other. The only distractions or interruptions should be emergencies; educate your environment when it is best to get with you by phone or in person for activities that are not both urgent and critical. Loosen your Electronic Leash At least four times per day, set 45-minute time blocks where email, instant messages, and any other electronic distractions are turned off.\u00a0 Each time block is dedicated to fully focusing on a specific activity that you have predetermined for that time. Very rarely is anything so urgent and critical that it cannot wait for a reply within an hour; you may even find that issues solve themselves without you having to! Prioritize Long-Term Projects Make a list of all your current important projects that are not urgent. Now, assign at least two one-hour slots a week to do them. Keep these appointments with yourself the same way that you would with a client; do not allow yourself to book anything during those times unless it is a true emergency. If you don\u2019t begin to do some of the strategic work now, when will you? An attic is easier cleaned a few boxes a week rather than the entire attic in a weekend. Minimize Multi-tasking There are some times when multi-tasking and bouncing from one activity to the next is both unavoidable and necessary. However, the majority of times you find yourself busy, multi-tasking, and rushed are self-created and counter-productive in the long run. Practice being fully present and engage in one activity at a time. If someone stops by your office while you are typing an email, ask them to send you an email to schedule some time so that you can truly focus on their needs at a time that is mutually convenient. Create Blocks of Similar Activities A doctor does not check emails in the middle of surgery, and a lawyer is not accepting incoming calls while the opposing counsel is grilling his client. What makes the critical responsibilities of your role less deserving of your own concentration? We all like diversity and variety, but do your best to plan activities in such a way that complementary activities can be done in groups. Find the Right Work\/Life Balance Just as your time at work should have focus and intensity in each activity; so should your time away from work. Being fully present in all your interactions includes those outside of work. When you find your mind drifting to work related activities while with friends or family, remind yourself to focus back on the people or activity at hand. Finding People Who Make a Difference\u00ae The solutions provided in our SRA Update are simply a half dozen best practices to help you and your team alleviate Professional ADD. Fully engaged employees can play a tremendous part in the growth and success of a company, and for more than 50 years, Sanford Rose Associates\u00ae has been committed to \u201cFinding people who make a difference\u00ae\u201d for its clients. To learn more about successful strategies for combating Professional ADD, reach out to your Sanford Rose Associates\u00ae executive search consultant today. -Karen Schmidt<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[49,4,5,8,9,16],"class_list":["post-757","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sra-updates","tag-executive-search","tag-human-resource-tips","tag-recruitment-news","tag-search-industry-insights","tag-sra-update","tag-talent-management"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>SRA Update - November 2012 - Professional Attention Deficit Disorder<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Professional Attention Deficit Disorder\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sanfordrose.com\/shapirosearch\/professional-attention-deficit-disorder\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Darren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sanfordrose.com\\\/shapirosearch\\\/professional-attention-deficit-disorder\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sanfordrose.com\\\/shapirosearch\\\/professional-attention-deficit-disorder\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Darren\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sanfordrose.com\\\/shapirosearch\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/3a19b159d1fd2376d2dab6bea24e5a7d\"},\"headline\":\"Professional Attention Deficit Disorder\",\"datePublished\":\"2012-10-29T18:06:43+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sanfordrose.com\\\/shapirosearch\\\/professional-attention-deficit-disorder\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":788,\"commentCount\":0,\"keywords\":[\"executive search\",\"human resource tips\",\"recruitment news\",\"search industry insights\",\"SRA Update\",\"talent management\"],\"articleSection\":[\"SRA Updates\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/sanfordrose.com\\\/shapirosearch\\\/professional-attention-deficit-disorder\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sanfordrose.com\\\/shapirosearch\\\/professional-attention-deficit-disorder\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sanfordrose.com\\\/shapirosearch\\\/professional-attention-deficit-disorder\\\/\",\"name\":\"SRA Update - 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