Let's face it...
Workplace Interruptions Are Weakening Our Work!
According to a recent UC Irvine study, an American worker spends only 11 minutes on a project before s/he is interrupted. The study goes on to state that it takes us nearly 30 minutes to get back the focus. Furthermore, other studies show that distractions dramatically increase error rate and cause workers to go home more exhausted.
I don't need to tell you this, as you probably experience it every single day! So, what can we do?
Leadership Hack: The Power Hour
The Power Hour is an easy tool that will dramatically increase productivity. Just follow these three simple steps.
1 - Choose a time. Determine a time (ex. 10:00a) when the Power Hour will occur. Same time, every day. 2 - Inform others. If you are choosing to do this for yourself, inform others that you will not be taking calls, checking emails, opening your office door, responding to texts, or any other form of distraction during this hour. You are going to be 100% on a task without interruptions, even if the building is on fire. If you choose to do this as a team, make an agreement together that you will not disturb others during the hour and commit to hold each other accountable. 3 - Focus for one hour. Close the door, turn off notifications, exit out of email, put the phone on hold, shut your cell down and get to work. One full hour - 60 complete minutes, no distractions, no interruptions, nothing but pure, solid work on a single task.
A few more details:
It's going to take some practiced to focus on work for a full 60 minutes. Have patience, work at it, and you'll be able to do it.
Consider putting up signs, changing voicemails, and having automatic emails with a "Power Hour" message"
Schedule time following the power hour to address any urgent issues. You'll find that almost all issues can wait an hour.
This works even in almost all settings. For example, if you work on a production line, make an agreement with everyone around you and you'll be surprised how much more you get done.
The Power Hour - a leadership hack that greatly enhances how much you can get done in one day!