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Conquering fragmentation The CEOs in our study viewed multitasking as ‘multi single- tasking’, dividing their day into islands of attentional focus. In many cases, this was simple: they read notes on the way to meetings, paid full attention during discussions, and tied everything up at the end. For trickier issues (eg, staff dismissal), quick segmentation was not so easy. One of the CEOs in our study agonised over such a decision for around 10 days, consulting her closest team daily. By doing so, she maintained her attention, enabling her to make sense of the problem and finally close it off. Conquering variety To focus on what they deemed important, the CEOs weeded out ‘small-fry’ issues. Practices ranged from a morning meeting with a PA to action emails to the immediate delegation of tasks to colleagues. Some CEOs found that obligations, such as financial reporting and board meetings, were a roadblock to focusing on what they deemed important. To counter this, they built their issues into the agendas of regular meetings. The attentional infrastructure will enable leaders to recognise and evaluate an activity that is often considered implicit. It will not only pinpoint gaps but also reveal roadblocks to their goals. For example, if a CEO is strategy focused, the attentional infrastructure will show how much of their attention is consumed by detail. Ironically, the tool is yet another thing that will demand a leader’s attention. However, revisiting it on a regular basis will enable them to sharpen their focus and achieve more in all areas of work.
10 questions to assess your attentional infrastructure
1 WHAT DOES MY INFRASTRUCTURE LOOK LIKE? 2 DO I HAVE THE RIGHT COMBINATION OF ROUTINES, RELATIONSHIPS, AND TOOLS (TECHNOLOGY, FILING SYSTEMS, ETC) TO STAY ON TOP OF THINGS? 3 AM I SEEN BY MY STAKEHOLDERS TO BE PAYING ATTENTION? 4 HOW MUCH OF MY ATTENTIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE IS DEVOTED TO OBLIGATIONS RATHER THAN WHAT IS IMPORTANT? 5 WHAT DOES IT HELP ME TO SEE? 6 WHAT MIGHT I BE MISSING AND WHY? 7 WHAT DO I NEED MORE OR LESS OF? 8 IS MY ATTENTIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE GETTING IN THE WAY OF MY MAKING A DIFFERENCE? 9 HOW SUITED IS MY ATTENTIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE TO MY PERSONALITY? 10 DO I NEED A COACH OR MENTOR TO HELP ME FOCUS MY ATTENTION?
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