One of the main features of the manager is to be continually moving from one task to the next. Indeed, he must juggle different emergencies and meanings that occur more or less predictable. There nice to organize the best and even leave room for the unexpected, it does him remains a big problem: How to develop and improve multitasking skills ?
So, it is necessary to know how to manage the events that cut, but also know how to get back on the job we were doing. More we effective in our ability to concentrate, the less we will lose time.
One of the best methods of organization and efficiency is the grouping of tasks. For example, instead of watching 30 times daily e-mails, we won’t look at them three times a day. The advantage is that we have to put us three times a day on our emails. We need Preheat US 3 times. Once launched, we will be instrumental. If we get 30 times a day, there will be 30 warm-ups and once started; there are only a few emails to deal with. The book of Timothy Ferriss ‘ the 4-hour workweek ‘ perfectly illustrates this.
However, when we are continually bothered, we are in a situation where we look at 30 times a day our emails. We have a beautiful group and predict a time slot; we are cut off in our action. The only solution is to be able to quickly get (re) focus. Techniques exist for this. I will show you 7.
1 – Prevent some cuts
As soon a risk may arise, in this case, the fact to be bothered, to implement actions to prevent risks. As that manager, it is difficult to cut its teams, certainly, we can close the door to our office, but personally, I think that the message sent is not good: Please do not disturb me, I have more important things to do…
Everyone is free to do as he wishes. However, it is quite possible to reduce the risk of further cuts. I want to talk about all of the alerts that we receive every day: alerts emails, alerts on the phone, the phone calls, the notifications on the computer. How to improve his concentration is first to remove anything that may embarrass her.
Example
For example, we receive an alert on our phone informing us that there was an earthquake on the other side of the world. Not only we are cut off in our task, but in addition, we receive bad news that will make us sad. Finally, we have no leverage to do anything. Conclusion: what is the point to receive notifications at this precise moment? If we want to know the news, we have to go to the website of the newspaper that interests us. The difference? We have a notification so we decided to go on an internet site. One bothers us, the other we are pleased. I have not taken on the first while I took on the second.
A simple exercise
Between emails, notifications and others, this can range from 20 to 50 or even 100 cuts per day. I suggest you do an exercise I did myself: cut all the notifications emails, news or social media for a week. If you experience any lack, you can put back them. Otherwise, leave them inactive. Personally, I experienced this (except for notifications of messages from my friends), I won a lot of time, because I’m less disturbed. Yes!
2 – Do the sort in his mind
The tasks of less than 2 minutes
To make sorting in his multitasking mind and protect themselves from thoughts that could disrupt us, there are several methods. I’ll remember 2 I préconiserai use: before you begin a task, deal with all the tasks that last less than 2 minutes. So, we can take away the spirit small tasks that could take us to the RAM.
On the other hand, be careful to not do as and as the tasks to come. It must treat stains less than 2 minutes together to be more effective. Is the 2nd important Tip: group tasks. Thus, I must print an important document for a meeting. If it takes less than 2 minutes, then I immediately with other tasks for less than 2 minutes. Over time, these small tasks will be greatly reduced and our spirit will be less cluttered.
When we started in our main task, if we see new tasks less than 2 minutes coming, it should list them for the next “session” of tasks that last less than 2 minutes.
Attention, need us less than 2 minutes to answer most of the mails, but I recommend to group similar tasks. Thus, there will be two or three slots per day to answer mail and not treat them as and when. We would be more effective. Another example: If we have 1 photocopy which lasts less than 2 minutes, then we will include it in a time slot “tasks of less than 2 minutes”. If we have several photocopies to do and that it takes more than 2 minutes, we will create a special slot.
The work environment
I say that even if this action is well known: have an tidy office allows a better concentration. Indeed, even if our gaze is focused on the current action, he also sees what is happening next door. It therefore records information our brain has to deal with. This can therefore slow down and decrease our concentration. Learn to store to learn more about how to improve his concentration. It is the same for the noise.
3 – Manage the cuts
After you remove what may hinder, to how to improve his concentration, it will manage the best cuts. Indeed, feel that the new situation is handled will allow us to get back to our initial task more easily and thus to regain our focus.
Several solutions will offer to us. We can learn of the Eisenhower matrix. If the situation is:
- Urgent and important: we must deal with it immediately
- Not urgent and important: we must plan it immediately
- Urgent and not important: we must delegate it immediately
- Urgent and not important: we must forget it immediately. We also inform our interlocutor that this kind of situation is not worth the while it moves by giving all the necessary sense. Thus, we will warn us of future cuts.
Every situation that led a break is a way to be managed. In addition, I recommend “immediately” to handle the situation. Indeed, I feel that the brain continues to “grind” as long as it doesn’t have the feeling of having managed the situation. So better take a few minutes to reassure him and regain serenity rather than turn a blind eye and not be able to regain his focus then.
4 – Be clear about its goals and become sequential
How to improve his concentration is… always keep in mind the object of our concentration ! How can we stay focused if finally we always cut and we forget our main task, one that deserves our attention?
So the idea is to always have clear objectives and especially never start a new task before another. In a profession that at the base, often forces us to fight many battles both, if we set several objectives at the same time, it will be very difficult to continue.
The idea is therefore to be sequential and treat the objectives one after the other. Thus, when we cut, we minimize the risk of procrastination. We know precisely what is the task that we must resume. We are, therefore ‘focus’ and can we (re) focus again.
5 – Establish routines
In the same idea, I also recommend to implement routines for how to improve his concentration. The goal is not to always do the same thing, but to predict, from one week to the other to do the same thing. The difference? Is not because we expect it will happen in this way. On the other hand, provide routines allows you to more easily focus on our goals and our priorities.
For example, we know that on Monday morning, we make a point about the results of last week. It is a regular activity for one week to the next. Thus, even though on Monday morning we are cut off by other activities, it is rooted in our mind that we must take stock of the results of the previous week. As soon as we have time, we enrich us, and we focus directly on these objectives by habit.
6 – Managing your emotions
Another key point to know how to improve her concentration: the emotions listening to. We like it or not, they are present and they can either motivate or block us. If they inspire us, they help us concentrate. However, they can also block us. In this case, as long as we manage not emotion, we may not be able to improve our concentration. I recommend taking the time to manage her emotion, even if it takes several hours, rather than wasting his time trying to do something without concentration. Indeed, we will have difficulties in obtaining results.
Anger
Take the example of anger. Personally, when I am angry, I have great difficulty concentrating. So I have the reflex to go walking. At the time, I can spend 1 hour or 1 hour 30 minutes, but eventually, I’ll be much more calm and find it me easier to regain my focus.
The sadness
Another example is that of sadness. It occurs in case of lack. For example, a colleague left the company. He will miss us and we are so very sad. It will be essential to take the time to digest this lack. So, take the time to cry and accept will be essential to find a full concentration. Certainly, there are often long to digest the departure of a colleague. By agreeing to take time regularly to accept, we will meet every time a little more concentration.
Fear
Finally, fear can prevent us from improving our concentration. She is present when a danger is there. We must therefore identify the danger to act on it and thus to regain our full capacity of concentration.
Certainly, managing emotions can take time, but if we want to regain our full capacity of concentration, it will take the bull by the horns and face them. Because managing them, we alleviate them and will know how to improve our concentration.
7 – Use the Pomodoro method
Finally, the Pomodoro method is one of the most effective for how to improve his concentration.
Operation
It is very simple:
- take the timer of your phone service
- set it to 25 minutes and launch it
- work non-stop for 25 minutes
- When it rings, stop and take a break of 5 minutes
- try again
- all 4 sessions, take a 15 minute break
Benefits
This method has 2 big advantages. The first is that it pushes us to action. Often, we think about the task to do and its constraints. We have trouble to put us to work. Here, just press the button “start” of the timer to create the impetus to get to work. It’s simple, but extremely effective. With time and experience, the brain switches to a State where it can think about several things at the same time, in a State where he is focused on the task. The launch of the timer creates a trigger for the brain and concentration.
The second advantage, is that this method uses our 25-minute concentration: not too much, or not enough. It’s enough to be able to advance in the energy of the moment on the task in a concentrated way, and it isn’t too long to keep our concentration optimal. We therefore optimizes its concentration thanks to an optimal length.
In addition, to better know how to improve her concentration
In addition, I would like to make a last little trick. We can often hear it. Is to use the energy of the moment to do this or that job. What does this mean? This means that you have planned to do a task, but are you really not motivated. On the other hand, you have a great motivation to make another. This can be an opportunity to change.
Of course, this is not always possible, because we have constraints. Indeed, it is difficult to replace a meeting where many people have been invited by the filling of a reporting. However, there are times when we have still the opportunity. The more we will be motivated, more we will work soon on the task and we can focus. If it doesn’t, it will be difficult to have good concentration.