Treat #66
: When Working Becomes a Scan
We keep telling ourselves we do not have time to read the contents of our In-boxes with focus and, as a result, many of us are now practicing the art of what I call less-than-conscious-scanning.
Scanning done with focus is a valid approach when we truly have a time crunch and need to check for any priority communications. But when unconscious scanning becomes the norm, it actually is a form of cheating on ourselves. Many of us are not really reading our email or snail mail, especially if you have the email reading or preview pane open. We scan the already partial communication and often miss the point or respond to only one of the questions asked.
At the same, while we are scanning, we are sometimes listening to music, trying to drink coffee, etc. and productive working becomes less than optimal. We have all been there.
Unconscious scanning is one way we check out on ourselves while believing we are buying ourselves some down-time. But, in fact, we are increasing our up time. We look like we are doing something and we feel like we are doing something but in reality we are adding to our reservoir of incompletes because what we are doing does not have our full attention
Each time we view our work without full attention, we see all but in reality we see nothing. We spend unnecessary time going back over things again and again. Often I watch people flip through pages back and forth looking for something and not finding it. But when they focus, touching one piece of paper at a time, what they are looking for appears quite rapidly.
Most of us are not even aware we are doing this until someone brings it to our attention.
I had it brought to my attention recently when I received a client confirmation for a hotel reservation in Singapore. I assumed it was for the next hotel I would be staying at in Malaysia. I only scanned the email seeing the title and then did not read the email all the way through. As a result, the dates looked incorrect and I emailed the client correcting the date. In a subsequent email from my client, it was pointed out to me that the date was accurate and that I had the wrong location. Oops! Bottom line the client and I both spent unnecessary time.
People tell me they have to scan their work because they do not have time to focus. What I know to be true is that focusing will expand time. With focus I can write an email in half the time and be clearer in my communication.
If we really want more time the best solution I know is to say good-bye scanning, hello conscious-focusing.
I am aware of the pressure my clients feel in not having down-time to do their work. Sometimes I start to agree with them. But, what I know to be true for myself is that, if I stay fully engaged and 100% present as I work, I am in down-time all the time.
My friend and mentor David Allen (author of Getting Things Done) told me once about experiencing being on vacation all the time by being focused in this moment. That is my experience also. We get lost in the action as time expands to allow us to complete.
Working with focused flow is the level above scanning and gives us the reward of down-time in each moment.
Martha Invitations
1. Close your email preview and reading panes and look fully at the expanded view with your full focus.
2. Each time you hear yourself say you do not have enough time, slow down and focus.
3. Watch where your eyes are focusing and take in the whole view.
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