The previous two articles focused on “making time count”. The four categories of activities that most professionals spend doing on a typical workday: Firefighting; Attention Getters; Capacity Building; and Time Wasters. This week we will highlight the second type of activity: Attention Getters.
There are a number of things, at any moment, competing for our attention. Some of these things draw our attention immediately, even if they are not important. We have all been in the situation where we are on the brink of solving an important work problem with a coworker---and then the phone rings. The ringing phone is vying for our attention; it is urgent, but not as important as finishing the significant headway we are making with our coworker on the resolution to the problem.
Another example of an attention getter is when a salesperson has a customer who is ready to spend money on a large purchase, only to ask the customer to wait because a fellow salesperson needs help moving a box.
Like firefighting, attention getters cause us to react and, as a result, lead to many of the same personal symptoms (e.g., burnout, stress). Like firefighting, people driven by attention-getting activities cannot maintain strong customer service (both with their external customers and their teammates) for very long.
(To Read More: “Building A Customer Service Culture—The 7 ServiceElements of Customer Service”, by Robert Hobbi & Mario Martinez)
Next Week: Time Mode—“Capacity Building”
