Recent research found that around 60% of employees rarely or never do even an hour or two of deep, focused work each day without being interrupted by a distraction. As a manager, how can you protect your team’s attention? Here are some strategies that can help.

* Inventory tasks and projects. Hold people accountable for keeping current to-do lists, and give them time each week to review these commitments so they can stay in control of their work and time.

* Clarify and curate communication channels. Most distractions are the result of internal back-and-forths on various communication platforms. Make clear what each one should be used for—as well as expectations around response times.

* Normalize “no.” Make it safe for employees to communicate that they’re at capacity. Don’t punish this kind of boundary-setting—express gratitude for it.

* Make meetings meaningful. If a meeting doesn’t have an express purpose or agenda, give your employees permission to decline the invite.

* Formalize focus. Establish a team norm of protected work time. For example, block out Tuesday and Thursday afternoons for meeting-free, deep-focus work, with looser expectations around response times.

* Respect boundaries. Don’t be the distraction. If someone you manage is in the middle of a project or task, hold off on pinging them or adding work to their plate.
This tip is adapted from “7 Ways Managers Can Help Their Team Focus,” by David Allen and Justin Hale

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