Beginning with Generation X,
experts say our attention spans have shrunk. Much of it has to do with TV and
its fast-paced news, especially cable news. With video games and the Internet,
keeping each other's attention becomes more challenging whether or not we have
personal challenges.
The advice from experts works
well for all work environments — not just for dealing with managers who can't
pay attention for longer than a minute:
-
Meet in
a less distracting environment.
-
Plan for
the meeting.
-
Provide
an agenda and visual aids.
-
Use
better words.
-
Capture
everything in writing.
-
Get to
the point quickly.
Meet in a less distracting
environment
Michelle Johnston, health
promotion supervisor at UC Davis, has worked with a manager with a short
attention span. She says, "Look at the environment in which she meets with her
manager. Is it the manager's office, and is the manager then distracted by other
things? Is it a medical office with an overhead paging system? Are people
walking by, coming in, etc.? With my boss, I found that having meetings outside
of his office (and preferably outside of our building for important issues)
helped him focus."
Elisabeth Monaghan, APR
independent public relations consultant, has worked with a manager who let
emails and phone calls distract her. She diplomatically told the manager it
would be a better use of their time if they met in a conference room away from
the manager's phone and computer.
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Plan for the meeting
Planning for the meeting means
not only setting the time and date, but also letting the manager know how long
the meeting will last, as Alan Allard, principal, Genius Dynamics, Inc.,
suggests.
Doris Jeanette, PsyD, founder of
www.drjeanette.com, says, "Anxiety is
frequently the problem when the boss cannot pay attention to you. She or he is
moving too fast, and has the gas pedal to floor board! Instead, you need to find
a way to let your boss know it is in her or his best interest to pay attention.
For example, you have what your manager needs!"
The Disorganized Mind:
Coaching Your ADHD Brain to Take Control of Your Time, Tasks, and Talents
by Nancy Ratey contains an entire chapter on dealing with bosses with ADHD. She
advises going over the agenda and purpose of the meeting right before the
meeting, before you discuss any content.
Provide an agenda and visual
aids
Alan Allard also recommends the
use of any type of visual aid, such as "writing out key points on a pad as you
talk."
If the manager struggles to focus
more than usual, Michelle Johnston advises removing some items from the agenda
to shorten the meeting. Make sure the agenda has lots of white space and bullet
points. Don't crowd it with many words.
Gabriela
Cora, MD, MBA, president of Executive Health and Wealth Inst., provides a list
of strategies for dealing with short attention spans from children to adults:
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Hold short meetings.
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Begin with the most important
item.
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Cover no more than three
issues.
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Introduce each issue with a
headline.
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End the meeting with agreed
deadlines and follow up.
Lillian Arleque, EdD, executive
leadership and life coach, explains the importance of providing effective visual
aids. A list of complex financials overwhelms the reader who will tune out the
speaker. Arleque advises looking at how you present data. If your manager gives
presentations, review his data and copy his style. Arleque's client tried this
approach and had success because she presented the data to her manager in the
format he understands and prefers.
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Use better words
Jenn Kaye, founder of Touch with
Intention, LLC, points out that some people use more words, especially those who
are people-oriented. Task-oriented people prefer fewer words. When you have a
conflict in communication styles, try Kaye's tips to improve how you
communicate.
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Begin sentences with "I" or
"We" instead of "You."
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Start a sentence using the
person's first name.
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Use "and" instead of "but."
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Ask close-ended questions
(yes/no) vs. open-ended.
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Lead with a positive
statement.
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Practice using sentences of
10 words or less.
Capture everything in writing
Whether before or after the
meeting, document everything related to the project or topic of discussion.
Nancy Kirk of PRM Associates explains the usefulness of getting it in writing.
"I recommend bringing everything as a proposal to the manager, so all you are
asking for is approval or changes, and then you can go execute the idea. That
way, the manager can do what managers are supposed to do — make decisions and
allow you to go be brilliant," says Kirk.
Or you can give a note pad to the
boss for taking notes and capturing his or her own ideas as Nancy A. Ratey
suggests.
Marlene Chism, founder of
stopyourdrama.com, says, "Have your request written on paper and ask your boss
to sign off on your suggestion."
Email also works well for
recapping the meeting and its action items. Keep these emails brief, and use
bullet points. Use a subject that matches the meeting title or topic. Start by
listing the purpose of the meeting and give a summary. Follow with action items
including dates and person responsible.
Get to the point quickly
Jenn Barnes, partner at HRM
Today, explains that many managers have short attention spans because they
simply have too much going on. "I'm all about straightforward and tactful
conversations when it comes to problem solving. Why not just say to the manager,
'I feel like I've lost your attention' and wait for him/her to respond?
Literally: stop talking and wait," says Barnes.
Barnes also recommends holding a
one-on-one meeting and saying to the manager, "I feel like when I talk to you I
have about two minutes before you stop paying attention." Then stop talking and
let the manager respond. Let the silence say, "It's your turn, buddy."
Gayle Gregory, co-founder of
Workplace Evolution, takes the honest approach by saying something like the
following. "Is it my imagination, or are you tuning me out? If you are, can you
tell me what I can do to better engage you? I value your input and our
relationship, and I have tried several things to hold your attention, but none
has worked. I would truly appreciate it if you could help me understand how best
to communicate with you."
Jonathan Davis, founder and CEO
of American Workforce, says, "Give people immediate feedback, concentrate on the
subject and maintain a focus on results. Do NOT limit their desire to take
action, restrict their power, spend time on non-essentials or be emotional.
Very important: Touch on high points, ensure that they win, be logical and don't
touch them — keep your distance."
Elisabeth Monaghan sums it
nicely. "With our wonderful technology comes more distractions. I also think a
lot of us simply lack good manners and do not realize that good managers and
their employers accomplish a lot more if they spend more time listening, and
less time dinking with their Blackberries, iPhones, etc.," she says.
