Try these tricks to beat the constant ‘buzz’
When I asked for column suggestions, many of you mentioned squeezing more work out of our days. Time is the scarce commodity today. I think it goes beyond the new, leaner organizational structure. Much of the blame should be aimed at the pagers, phones, PDAs and people buzzing into our day, not only taking up time but also continually breaking our concentration on the task at hand.
Here are some thoughts for shutting down the buzz so you can concentrate:
œ Plane ride for one. One of the best things about flying is that no one can reach you. So take a flight without leaving your desk: Turn off all electronic devices, close the “cabin door” and just work in solitude. If you explain what youfre doing in advance, no one will begrudge you a little alone time.
œ Play hide ‘n’ seek. Why is it that when you are feeling absolutely under the gun, your co-worker just has to tell you about her weekend? If an absent colleague’s workstation or a vacant conference room is available, these make for great hiding places. When you’re not where you belong, people assume you’re not around.
œ Get out. It’s difficult to be strategic or creative when you are sitting in the same place, looking at the same wall, day after day. When you have big-picture planning to do, grab your team and get out of the office. Find a coffeehouse, park or other haunt where you can escape the daily grind and let your mind run free.
As marketers, we’re forced to be creative on demand. Sometimes you have to give yourself a little edge to get the job done. Try these tactics and see if they donft buy you some time.
Drew McLellan is Top Dog at McLellan Marketing Group and the author of “99.3 Random Acts of Marketing.” He can be reached at Drew@MclellanMarketing.com.