Being able to focus is a key capability when
it comes to high productivity. When asked
“what was the most important factor in their
success through life?”, both Bill Gates
and Warren Buffet answered “focus”. Gates
was particularly relentless when writing software
prior to the launch of his company, Microsoft.
He spent two weeks in Harvard’s computer
lab, sometimes even falling asleep at the
terminal. This distraction-free environment
helped him prepare the software code that
would help initiate the personal computer
era.
Google’s philosophy published on their website
contains the principle that “It’s best
to do one thing really, really well”. In
their case it was search, using continuous
iteration and improvements to make the experience
better for the user. They have then applied
what they’ve learnt to new products such
as maps and email.
A few weeks ago I read a book called Essentialism
by Greg McKeown and in this book Greg advocates
a mind-set and way of living that promotes
attempting to do the right thing, the right
way at the right time. We can achieve this
by being more selective when deciding what
is essential. By focusing our energy and effort
on goals that really matter, we can actually
accomplish more by doing less. However, this
is only possible by focusing on the present
moment and asking yourself “What is important
now”?
By focusing on the present your drive is not
dispersed by distractions and you’re able
to apply all your energy to the job at hand.
The harder you work on something, the easier
it is to execute on it.
Greg argues that we can multi task but we
can only focus on one of those tasks at a
time. I often listen to podcasts when I’m
on a long distance run. Doing both things
at the same time is easy but I am only focused
on listening to the audio, while I’m running
on autopilot. If I focus on the running I
find it difficult to absorb everything being
said on the podcast.
If you want to be in the present, considering
these three techniques will help:
1. Work out what is most important right now.
Often we’re pulled in several directions
with several tasks vying for our attention.
Realise which ones are essential and focus
on achieving those, crossing off any that
are not important right now.
2. Get the future out of your head. This allows
you to focus on what’s important now. Write
down any ideas you have in your head so that
(a) you have a record of them and (b) you
won’t feel the need to act on them or stress
over them at the present moment.
3. Prioritise your list of what is essential
now and work through them methodically.
The LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner uses focus as
an acronym to teach employees his philosophy
on focusing and leadership.
This FCS abbreviation emphasises that a leader
should not have a mind-set of trying to be
everything to everyone but that instead, less
is more. They should not be too general in
their communication, keeping it clear, consistent
and succinct. Finally, any decisions made
should not be unpredictable or erratic, causing
vagueness and uncertainty to their employees.
Being clear on what is expected of an employee
is the key to empowering that person in their
role.
To summarise, in a digital world where demands
are made of our attention 24 hours a day,
being able to focus is a necessary skill.
To nurture this skill requires practise but
it is a cornerstone ability to achieve success.
