Attention Managers! - Focus Your Attention!
Dr. Ben A. Carlsen, MBA

In today's fast-moving society it's easy to get scattered in focus and effort. The
result is underperformance and missed opportunities As a manager you can achieve
better results when you focus your attention.
MULTI-TASKING IS OVERRATED
Managers need to focus their attention in a few high priority areas. The "critical few,"
essential to management success, are the areas to concentrate on, if you want
results.
Watch children at play; they can do several things at once (and have the attention
span of a "gnat"). Easily distracted, kids will yell, and talk, and spin and run and play
games and make up stories and chase other children-- all within a matter of
minutes. But we live in an adult world where managers cannot afford to be torn in
multiple directions simultaneously.
MANAGEMENT IS DIFFICULT, and it requires concentration.
Leaders who understand management select a few priorities and then expend vast
amounts of energy on them. No matter what your politics, a good example of
focusing attention on a few priorities was during Ronald Reagan's presidential
administration. President Reagan had a few top priorities: end the "cold war,"
increase "patriotism," and improve the economy. Because he focused on these few
"big ticket" items he enjoyed a successful presidency.
SELECT YOUR PRIORITIES.
What is critical to the success of your business (or your segment of the business)?
Peter Drucker was the man who invented the term "management." Drucker felt that
planning should be the top priority and that managers should focus on the external
environment. He also felt marketing should be high on the list. Pick a few high
"payoff" areas to concentrate on rather than spending time and energy on scores of
relatively insignificant matters.
COMMUNICATE YOUR PRIORITIES.
You can't do it all by yourself, and you shouldn't try. Management is all about
"getting things done through other people." If you clearly communicate your
priorities to your staff, and follow-up with high levels of attention paid to those
areas, you should see results. If your priorities are unclear, unimportant, or
constantly changing, you will surely fail.MEASURE YOUR PROGRESS.
How are you going to determine your progress if you don't measure results? The
answer is obvious, you can't! What should you measure? How often? And, how will
you set up a process? How can you be sure you are measuring the right things?
Select those areas which are essential to the growth and profitability of the
enterprise, then rigorously examine them. Have your staff provide input to this
process. This will help them in focusing on your, and the business, priorities so that
everyone is contributing to the organization's mission and goals. Benchmark your
progress by including factors which other businesses in your industry most
commonly measure and report. Some things need to be constantly measured, while
others can be measured less frequently. Take a look at the "cycle" for each of your
measurements -from start to finish- to establish the proper timeframe for each
factor. Then simplify the measurement and reporting process so that it isn't too
burdensome, otherwise it will fall into disuse.
Remember, managers, --focus your attention!
by: Dr Ben A. Carlsen, MBA
About the author: Ben A. Carlsen, Ed.D, MBA, is an experienced CEO and manager.
Dr. Carlsen has over 30 years experience in management, consulting, and teaching.
Currently the Head of the Business Department at Everest Institute, Hialeah, FL., he
was the Chairman of the Los Angeles County Productivity Managers Network.
Additional information can be obtained at http://drben.info
Copyright ©, 2008, Dr. Ben A. Carlsen, MBA. All Rights Reserved.