Getting focus on real work - not just juggling email.

Here is a good article from Life Hacker (great site) about how to build your attention span and to focus. I know that when I did my MBA there was evidence that mid-level managers only had an attention span of around 6 minutes. From what I can see in the workplace I think that this has dropped to around 3 or 4 minutes. 

There are some great methods around for managing your email (Getting Things Done) but you can take simple steps. Here is a message I have on my work email:

E-MAIL – I process email 3 times a day – around 9.00am, mid-day and 3.00pm.

If you have an issue that is urgent then please call my assistant XXXX on (02 XXXXXXX).

Note that all mail where I am “cc’d” is moved to a lower priority folder that is reviewed only once a day.

E-Mail facts: E-mail overload is the leading cause of preventable productivity loss in organizations today. Basex Research recently estimated that businesses lose $650 billion annually in productivity due to unnecessary e-mail interruptions. And the average number of corporate e-mails sent and received per person per day is expected to reach over 228 by 2010.

Give you brain a chance and try and stop the destruction of your concentration by modern “productivity tools”.