When we’re committed to synchronous work, the volume of distractions from IMs, slack messages, Zoom meetings, and a barrage of email mean that knowledge workers rarely have the time to have focused head down time – the time that you deliver high-value work.

This pre-pandemic article highlights the impact that online collaboration tools have on knowledge workers ability to get focused work done. I can only imagine that things have accelerated since hybrid.

Did you know that “the average knowledge worker ‘checks in’ with communication tools every 6 minutes,” and that 70% of email are opened within 6 seconds of receipt.

Why is this important? Because, focus is being named one of the key leadership skills of 2023 and the current way or working is detrimental to people’s ability to do just that – focus.