An Attraction To Distraction

It is amazing to me how multi tasking has become a way of life. One of our star employees, computer savvy, street smart and good in sales could sit through a sales meeting fully engaged and texting while simultaneously changing meeting content on her laptop for the attendees to view on screen. When asked why she needed to text on her cell ‘during’ the meeting she cheerfully explained it was all about customer Q&A. She rarely made a mistake and clients loved her.

To most of us, multi tasking can be a distraction. Distractions can lead to errors, time loss, or worse - serious accidents such as the Boston Trolley incident. To avoid errors and accidents many leaders and employers have considered banning texting during working hours. That doesn’t eliminate the definite “attraction of distraction”. The real question on the table is what is our personal responsibility as we go through our work day? If we are performing heart surgery we need both hands. If we are riding in a van pool we WANT the driver to use both hands, both eyes and full brainpower.

For several years the mortgage industry flourished in the distraction of low interest rates, easy loans and even easier commissions. Distracted from what, you ask? Most were sidetracked and diverted from scrutinizing the quality of loans they were approving. Many were unfocused on prudent lending policy and practice. For a long period of time some lost track of the real meaning and consequences of ‘churning’.
An ethical personal response to how to spend our time at work is required by each of us. And by the way, texting and low interest rates are not our only distraction. There are phone calls, chat rooms, on line shopping and games. Employers who look the other way in order to avoid confrontation simply promote the problem. I contend that each of us must take pride in our work, strive to do it right the first time and commit to the job at hand rather than potentially stealing time from our employer. Theft of time is still theft. Remember the old saying, “Time is money”.

We exchange each dollar we earn for a certain amount of work. All work requires brain engagement. When we engage our brains full time to our tasks soon we are doing what we were hired to do. Soon, we can gently but with authority tell our friends “While I’m at work, don’t text me Bro”.