Distractions Are Part of the Game

My old boss Jason Chudnofsky told me a trick about trade shows, especially the little bowl with "win an iPad" business cards stuffed in it.

"None of the cards in this bowl are players. Let your junior marketers run this stuff down. The big players don't put their card in the bowl. They don't take the squeezie balls, and they don't talk to the 'booth babes.'" (Back when trade shows relied on such things.)

"The players," he continued, "seek out the other players, and we go off and have meetings. That's what you really measure a trade show by: those meetings. Never the cards in the bowl."

The Distractions Are Real

In all life, all business, all games - everything! - distractions are there. Have you ever finished up with work, known there were like 30 chores to do at home and you're watching the kids, and one of them forgets they have to build a diorama of Ancient Greece and another says they can't get the shower to turn hot, and they need help warming up their food because it's always cold in the middle if they do it, and the night ends and you've done nothing?

Other people faced with all the same challenges can get a half dozen or more of the chores done. How? They avoid the loudest of the distractions. They set the kids to the task of helping with the chore list as well, and they arrange the pulse of the night's activities such that some of the chores can be snuck into the cracks between the crises.

We've Talked About the Multiple Games

You're paid to play a specific role at work. Let's say you're a project manager. Your job is to manage projects effectively. Do that for a year and you'll get your 3% raise. Good for you. Next year? Likely the same thing. Year after? Guess what?

There's another game if you want to advance into a leadership role. Maybe it's the "I can anticipate my boss and take stuff off their plate" game. Maybe it's the "I can make my boss look great to their boss" game. Maybe it's the "I never have to ask my boss to clear roadblocks" game. See how those might be more valuable than good old reliable "project in on time" person? (Remember: you've gotta do both your main work and this other game.)

Distractions Exist at All Levels

Two coworkers of mine were getting into the habit of sharing some lower level complaints of the people at work. I agreed that the complaints sure sounded valid. I then asked both if they thought running down those complaints was going to get them promoted. Maybe the complaints were valid and maybe they weren't, but were they really these two people's complaints to shepherd through the system? No.

Instead, I worked with both to develop the best people around them, to really advocate at every turn for others in the business and how well those people were doing. I mentioned sharing a great energy level and a very positive outlook as often as possible. Now, I won't say that it was purely my advice that moved them forward (definitely wasn't), but both have seen some significant advances in their status at the company since they started focusing on delivering more value at every turn.

Bosses Get Distracted, Too

A little while back, I wrote a post here about the importance of packages, and making sure people had the short repeatable version of what you're currently working on, what matters to you, etc, in a very small and easy to consume blurb. Don't you think that as you're moving through your days, you wouldn't be better served to occasionally (and subtly) point out what you're working on that you think is meaningful to helping the company grow?

Why not have a gentle version of "Where we last left off, you'll remember that I was bringing partners to the table to discuss selling synergies," so that the boss feels caught up instantly. Remember, the more you can make it easier for everyone around you, that's like removing distractions your boss faces.

Skip the Noise

On your way to changing the world, remember that there are all kinds of way to get distracted. The moment someone tells me they're busy, I know they haven't even vaguely mastered the primary of their multiple games. IF they can't beat the easy levels, why would I try to drag them into the more complex games out there?

Busy people are people who get twisted in the distractions. Learn how not to be busy. Find ways to lead your way to a better path with a clear view to the goals. Or else we'll here one of those "game over" songs playing soon, won't we?

-- Chris...