Whether you’re a business executive leading a small team or a CEO leading a multinational corporation, distractions and interruptions constantly derail productivity and focus. Widespread business advice promises to propel executives to success, but there are not many that share strategies to combat the interruptions that disrupt that success. In a world where the margin of error is slim, daily distractions can have detrimental effects.
Below, 20 Forbes Business Council members share the daily distractions they face and ways they avoid or combat those interruptions to achieve success.
1. Let Others Solve Their Own Problems
My biggest distraction is solving problems that don’t belong to me. I resolve this by always asking for three potential solutions when I’m presented with a difficulty or problem. Then I ask, “How do you think I would solve it? How do you want to solve it?” I usually finish by saying, “Do your best thinking and go for it.” – Greg Zlevor, Westwood International
2. Only Check Emails At Certain Times Of Day
Constantly receiving emails is very distracting throughout the day. I now only check my inbox three times per day: in the morning, at lunch and at the end of the day. And I never check in between. – Nellie Wartoft, Tigerhall
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3. Know When To Pass On Opportunities
As a leader, know which opportunities you must pass on and which ones you should invest in. This is a very important aspect of my day. The only way to master this is by surrounding yourself with people more knowledgeable and experienced. Their wisdom will save you lots of time and pain. – Johnny Pineyro, Surgent Capital
4. Bring Two Solutions To Any One Challenge
Having an open-door policy creates a culture of trust but it can also create dependency, with the distraction being that the leader is there to solve problems. We manage this through a cultural practice we call “Human Vibes” where we weave best practices into sound bites. To build competency and facilitate communication, we practice one problem two solutions, which in practice requires team members to bring two solutions to any challenge. – Susan Leger Ferraro, Peace, Love, Happiness Real Estate
5. Assemble A Capable Team
As a leader, I have identified that major daily distractions are the metaphorical fires in the business. To tackle them, I prioritize assembling a capable team and empowering them to make crucial decisions to resolve these issues effectively. – Brad Stutzman, O3 Energy Corporation
6. Control Your Own Tendencies
My biggest distraction was my own control freak tendencies, which were making me micromanage my team. I was so stuck in the weeds that I was losing sight of and being pulled away from the big picture. So, I got smart. I started delegating and trusting my team so that I could focus more on leadership vision, direction and top-level decisions. I focused on my zone of genius and let my team excel in theirs. – Amiee Ball, JAB Consulting Group
7. Delegate Your Tasks
My biggest distraction is the constant flow of small, simple tasks I can easily do instead of delegating them. I have to constantly remind myself that even though proper delegation will take significantly longer, it will pay off over time when similar tasks keep coming in. The hardest part is finding time to delegate and coach now to avoid distractions in the future. – Gaidar Magdanurov, Acronis
8. Schedule Working Time
Too many meetings and emails are my biggest distractions. A few strategies can help. For example, block out time each week for meetings and set expectations with others so no meetings are scheduled over that time. You can also delegate tasks or not attend if the meeting is not critical. For emails, block time in your calendar to just check emails daily. When doing other work or in meetings, stay away from your inbox. – Benito Piuzzi, Lakeview Loan Servicing
9. Invest In Team Development
As a leader, my biggest daily distraction is the continuous need to empower and train my team to align repetitive tasks with overall goals. To overcome this, I devote crucial time to providing clear guidance and fostering a culture of understanding around the larger purpose. By investing in team development, we ensure productivity and focus on strategic initiatives. – Harsh Patel, Water and Shark
10. Avoid Getting Too Personal With Employees
As the owner of our company, I find myself getting attached to people too quickly. When you form a friendship with someone you work with, it is difficult to work professionally. It can also make your management ineffective, so try to keep friendships to a minimum. At work, it is just work. Professionalism with employees is a must. – Jackie Nance-Sons, Native Wildflowers Nursery
11. Postpone Items That Do Not Need Immediate Attention
Unexpected calls and too many meetings in one day are the biggest distractions for productivity. There’s usually not enough time to digest all the insights from every call. It becomes hard to keep your focus on priorities and plan forward. Some things can slip from your attention. It can help to reduce the amount of time spent for meetings in the calendar and postpone everything that doesn’t require your immediate response. – Michael Podolsky, PissedConsumer.com
12. Silence Your Notifications
Whether they are on your phone, on Slack or in your email inbox, notifications constantly coming through can completely derail your day if you allow them to. Instead, allocate set time to review your notifications so you can ensure you have the time to properly manage your responses and the required tasks that come from notifications. It’s okay to wait an hour to respond to an email. – Maurice Harary, The Bid Lab
13. Focus On What Is Important, Not Urgent
The job is not to focus on what’s urgent but what’s important. Many people use urgency to measure importance. Urgent matters are brought to me constantly for decisions or affirmations. I make myself available at some times and unavailable at other times. These blocks are marked on my calendar and are dedicated to thinking, creating and envisioning the future. Set aside time to work on your business and not in your business. – Jordan Peace, Fringe
14. Keep Meetings Action-Oriented
All leaders face an overload of communication and information. To avoid this distraction, I try to keep all meetings focused and action-oriented while filtering the information I receive. It is important to stay updated on essential information without becoming overwhelmed by everything happening in all departments. – Mark Snell, Polestar Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning
15. Be Willing To Say No
The biggest distraction that I see business owners and their employees fall victim to is getting lost in the details. Too many times, we get wrapped up trying to fix everyone’s problems instead of focusing on our daily tasks. It’s okay to say no when someone asks you to stop what you’re doing to help them. You can also say, “I can’t now, but will later once I complete my assignment.” – Chris Clear, Clear Storage Group, LLC
16. Focus On Your Goals
I’ve often found myself becoming the “chief of everything.” As an entrepreneur, getting caught up in handling everything yourself is easy as a distraction in its own right. Having started the business, you probably like things done your way, but this will ultimately affect your business’s growth. A good way out is to stop the “chief of everything” mindset and focus on getting a clearer vision of where you want your business to go next. – Anna Stella, BBSA
17. Use A Task-Focused Approach
The constant influx of communications from numerous channels simultaneously can be overwhelming. I still keep an eye out for critical notifications but apply most of my focus to completing one task at a time and then moving on to the next task. Using a task-focused approach ensures work actually gets done and analysis paralysis is avoided. – Jason Foodman, Rosy Salon Software
18. Limit Networking Communications
Networking has its benefits and is important. Yet, I have also found that it does create a mix of inbound calls and emails. During initial engagements, I have learned to set time blocks and make sure to mention the possibility that critical items may not suit the block due to the nature of our work. Doing this has cut down on the number of distractions a great deal. – Paul L. Gunn, Jr., KUOG Corporation
19. Develop Routines And Decision-Making Frameworks
A common distraction for leaders is decision fatigue, which comes from the constant need to make decisions. It can be reduced by creating routines for daily tasks and developing decision-making frameworks. Delegating decisions where appropriate can also ease the load. Mindfulness and rest are important too, as they replenish cognitive resources needed for focused decision making. – Jeremy Bradley-Silverio Donato, Zama
20. Prioritize Tasks Based On Their Value
My biggest distraction is the multitude of tasks at hand, trying to juggle and find time to focus on important things. I find using a value-based prioritization method to prioritize which tasks are important or urgent based on the value they bring to the business or problems is useful. – Yvette Yanne, Appnovation
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