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So, then…let us reflect together for a while, consider what matters, what really matters, and then in our wonderfully separate ways, fare forward together. ~ James Hollis
It’s the season to reflect on a year that’s winding down before we turn the page. It feels right to look back on the year. What interesting times these are! Tom Friedman describes this as a period marked by the collision of two forces, the Great Recession and the Great Inflection – referring to the rise of cheap, plentiful technology.
The good news is that the economy is forcing us to adopt new tools more rapidly, accelerating business innovation. But, more tools bring more “noise”, and decibel levels are soaring. Noise distracts us from focusing on what’s important and we seem to be suffering from a collective case of “focus-deficit disorder”. I think it’s hampering our performance.
I say this as an unrepentant geek who loves technology as much as anyone. Like so many of my peers, I have slavish attraction to small, shiny objects and the applications they run. And for the most part, I can endure the noise they make, but I wonder about the impact all the noise is having.
Complaining about the incessant noise has become a national pastime. At a holiday party last week, a friend confided that she seldom has time for talking with her kids, let alone her clients. “I’m on a treadmill,” she admitted. “And, I can’t slow it down long enough to hop off”.
Who among us can’t relate? At times, the noise is deafening.
We’ve coined metaphors like “signal-to-noise ratio” and “information overload”. I’m reminded of Clay Shirky’s famous talk, “It’s Not Information Overload. It’s Filter Failure”. He’s right of course. We need better filters, but the root of the problem is far deeper than the tools can reach.
We’ve met the problem…
It might sound radical, but the noise isn’t the problem, it’s the excuse. To the extent that noise is bothersome, we’re the problem. We make choices — conscious or not — every minute of the day about where we place our attention. We can choose to be distracted, or we can focus on what matters to the people whom we serve. In any case, the choice is always ours to make.
If we avoid distractions, we can focus on crucial questions: What do our customers value, and do we have what it takes to build and deliver value better than our rivals? That’s a tough one because if we’re honest, the answer is sometimes “no”. And, if that’s the case, we have our work cut out.
These big questions can be daunting, so it’s understandable that we’d want to avoid them. It’s easier to let the distractions consume our time and soon we drift away from what’s important.
Here’s the thing: I think that if we’re committed to what’s important, distractions can actually serve as helpful warnings. When I’m annoyed by distractions, I’ll try to figure out why I’m choosing to be distracted. If I’m being honest, I’ll notice that there’s something bigger and thornier that I’m avoiding.
It feels right to step back and reflect on where we’ve been before going forward. But the time is always now to focus on the signal and not the noise.
The time is always now to rediscover what matters to the people whom we serve. The time is always now to figure out smarter ways to deliver our offerings. And, the time is always now to be accountable to the people we serve, and to the people who serve us.
So, before we turn the page, let’s take this moment to reflect on where we focused our attention during the last year. Let’s be fiercely honest about it. Let’s also know that it’s not too late to focus on what’s most important.
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As always, I’d love to know your perspective on this topic…
I’m indebted to my friends, Connie Jones and Harry S. Bradley, for their fierce and steadfast commitment to the truth. This post is dedicated to them.
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Tags: accountability, Clay Shirky, course correction, Gret Inflection, James Hollis, never too late, signal-to-noise, Tom Friedman, What Matters Most