Productivity: Stop Embracing Distractions

When faced with a tough decision, it’s easy to embrace distractions. A distraction is like a life boat that gets you off a ship that may be going in the wrong direction. Rather than try to steer the ship toward a new course, it’s easier to jump overboard. The problem is that you may find yourself lost at sea in a small boat that could end up traveling the same way as the ship.

Recently in South Florida, there been a good example of leaders reaching for a distraction. Some school districts have started to discuss the idea of a dress code for parents. Apparently this comes as a result of some parents visiting schools in revealing outfits, worn out clothing, or sleeping attire.

While I’m sure there are some parents who could dress better, this is not an important issue for school boards to discuss. It won’t raise test scores, make our schools more globally competitive, or prepare a new generation for an increasingly complex and changing workplace.

The topic is fun to talk about and I’m sure it could result in a lot of laughter as people share stories of fashion mistakes. It’s also something that can be discussed for hours without anyone having to make a decision.

What’s the harm in a school board having a little fun in debating this kind of issue? The problem is that these leaders, like many, do not have an unlimited amount of time for debate. What’s not being talked about while low cut shirts and pajamas worn outside are being discussed?

The distraction provides you an easy excuse to avoid making a tough decision about something else. You see it in business, where a firm spends more time debating the look of a logo than finding potential customers.

Building a customer base takes time, involves rejection, and may result in your having to make adjustments to your staff and offerings. It is more fun to debate a color of a logo but the logo alone won’t keep you in business.

When it comes to debating a new issue, you must first decide whether it represents a critical need or something that’s just fun to talk about. Will it keep you from talking about a tough challenge? If this is the case, then you need to skip it, roll up your sleeves, and take on the challenge.

Sometimes, a humorous distraction can represent nice break from the serious stuff. In these cases, limit the amount of time the issue can be up for debate. Make sure you don’t let them become an endless pit of wasted time.

Many of the same themes of this article are reflected in the chapter about Meeting Monsters, which you’ll find in my new book, Stuck on Yellow.