McKinsey Commentary: Why turning off can turn you on!

We are big fans of McKinsey and Bain & Co.  Here are our thoughts on a recent McKinsey article on CEO focus:

It’s 7 AM and you’ve already answered 10 emails. And that’s just the start. When the phone calls start pouring in around 9, you grab the phone on the first ring. A buzz or beep of the cell phone and two seconds later you’re ferociously pounding on the keys with a response. There’s 15 tabs open on your browser and each has its purpose. You’re a multi-tasker, and you’re real good at it. But when you’re connected all day long, are you leaving time to process all that info that’s coming in? McKinsley’s “Recovering From Information Overload” explains why turning off can help you turn on.

• We tend to believe that by doing several things at the same time we can better handle the information rushing toward us and get more done. Unfortunately, current research indicates the opposite: multitasking unequivocally damages productivity
• The strategies of focusing, filtering, and forgetting are also tougher to implement now because of the norms that have developed around 21st-century teamwork
• Leaders need to become more ruthless than ever about stepping back from all but the areas that they alone must address
• Leaders have to redesign working norms together with their teams. One person, even a CEO, cannot do that alone

The whole point is that business leaders need to give the best of their brain power to what they are the best at.  We have seen a flurry of new product innovations at client companies when the CEO is no longer handling the daily marketing tasks.  Our own productivity shot up when we brought on outsourced bookkeeping and billing.

Give your best to your clients and core functions, not filtering the daily hailstorm of electronic communication.

Let’s go be our best!