Leadership and the elimination of ‘noise’
I hate noise. When I’m working I need to focus on exactly that one thing and any other noise becomes a huge distraction. My wife, Heather, on the other hand can listen to the radio, watch TV, read a book and still hold a conversation on the phone! It blows me away. The reality, however, is that white noise IS a distraction for everyone, even Heather. The trouble with ‘noise’ is that it serves no real purpose, except to draw us away from our core business. If we think of this in terms of leadership an analogous situation is our vision. Things in our periphery, now matter how attractive, must not keep us from that core vision; we must stay focused. How do we do this, the answer is as simple to state as it is difficult to implement. Get rid of the noise. I’ve been giving this some thought and it occurs to me that we can divide any given task, business or leadership activity into four segments; core business (stuff that is directly related to achieving our vision) supporting stuff (those things that need to be done to that underpin the core business) peripheral activity (the bits that could make a difference but also could do with refinement) and lastly and least importantly; noise or what I call ‘white noise’. That is, that constant buzzing, non-descriptor, incessant blah in the background. Unfortunately, in many areas ‘white noise’ gets the largest chunk of our attention. So how do we eliminate or at the very least reduce the white noise? The first step is to understand and recognise the white noise in your life. Take stock. Secondly, devise a plan to reduce it. Strategise. And thirdly implement the plan. Take action. More could, and will, be said about this but for now, start looking, listening and feeling the white noise in your life. You might be surprised at just how much there is!
Tags: focus, implementation, Leadership, white noise