We all know that keeping focused on tasks at work can be challenging. It was bad enough when we were full-time in the office, with frequent, noisy interruptions or chatty colleagues. Adding all the digital tools we now have with hybrid working, along with the distractions of working from home, moments of real peace and quiet are rare. While many think about the cost to productivity, the role of internal communications in this equation often receives less attention.
Of course, as employers we want high productivity from our workers, but are we creating the best environment for employees to thrive? According to a study from the University of California, Irvine, it takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to regain focus on a task after being distracted. 1. This is needed just to get back on track, let alone finish the task! Another academic study discovered that US office workers can only concentrate on a single task for 3 minutes without being distracted 2. ; In fact, a majority of workers cannot sustain focused work for over an hour because of distractions.3.
The impact of this becomes evident in the findings of a study by Hewlett-Packard, which explored the effects of distractions in their workplace. Distracted employees scored 10 IQ points lower than their focused counterparts 4. . As Johann Hari writes in ‘Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention’, this is twice the knock on your IQ compared to when you smoke cannabis 5. . Hari suggests that we would be more efficient stoned at our desk working on one task than doing the same task whilst repeatedly checking our email and Teams chat.
The growing demand for focus isn't just limited to employers; evidence suggests that employees also want a working environment with fewer distractions, as they feel they don’t have enough uninterrupted focus time 6. . At a time when employers are navigating the challenges of hybrid working, it is important that they address these concerns head-on to create more productive work environments.
When we are thinking about our communication with colleagues, it is important to recognise the benefits of uninterrupted work and the damaging effect distractions can have. From our experience, Message House recommends the following five steps for internal comms to create a working environment that is beneficial for focus:
1) Audit your comms - Do you know the volume of communication your team is receiving from your organisation? Start by initiating audits and monitoring your communication frequency. These steps are key to gaining a better understanding if your organisation is bombarding your colleagues with emails and messages.
2) Declutter your messages – Try to send out less and find alternative channels for important messages. Since the pandemic, there has been an over overreliance on email and Teams. Face-to-face communication cannot be replicated, nor can the level of engagement be matched when we are present with each other.
3) Create a culture of going off-grid - Consider allowing employees to disconnect from platforms like Teams for designated hours. Alter your workplace layout to accommodate quiet workspaces to encourage an environment where deep concentration is valued. Creating a culture where it is acceptable to focus on key tasks undisturbed allows employees to flourish and gives them the type of working environment they have asked for.
4) Lead from the top - Leadership in your company can promote focus. For instance, consider the practice of banning emails or phone use during meetings, and encouraging periods where focus is required.
5) Accept the need for flexibility – Like all areas in life, balance is the key. There is no need for us to be in a flow state all the time. It is about acknowledging which environments allow us to flourish with certain tasks. For example, facilitate tasks that require flow on working from home days.
We are never going to remove all distractions – and indeed some are needed or welcomed, such as informally bouncing ideas off other people or catching up with colleagues on a social level. However, there are some steps we can take to reduce those that are less productive. Facilitating a culture that encourages individuals to recognise when they need distraction-free time and giving them the autonomy to manage this can go some way towards building a happier, and more productive team. Employees are already inundated with notifications and messages, so we must make sure our internal comms are not adding to this problem.
1. The Cost of Interrupted Work: More Speed and Stress, 2008
2. The Atlantic: Office Workers Lose Focus Every Three Minutes, 2012
3. The Myth of Multitasking: The ultimate guide to getting more done by doing less, 2019
4. Stand out of our light: Freedom and Resistance in the Attention Economy, 2018.
5. Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention, 2023
6. Clockify: Effects of workplace distractions in 2023: Crucial statistics, 2023
