Limiting Distractions and Promoting Independence in the Workplace

The modern workplace is distraction central. From emails to pinging Slack notifications, alerts on project management apps and frequent meetings, it can be hard for employees to actually get any work done.

According to research from McKinsey & Company, this problem has even affected senior-level employees, with 80 percent of executives stating they were going to change, or were already changing, their meeting structure and cadence as a result of this workplace evolution. Additionally, most executives report that they spend "way too much time on pointless interactions that drain their energy and produce information overload."

Some companies are fighting back against the distraction trend-whether employees are remote or in the office-and aiming to ensure that everybody gets the time and space they need to do their jobs.

"Constant interruptions, making every deadline due yesterday or constant pivots are all signs of poor planning and coordination," said William Sipling, SHRM-PMQ, director of workforce transformation at Hubstaff, a fully remote, U.S.-based workforce management software company with 100 employees. "If you're someone marked by poor planning and communication, your best team members will realize that their career and personal growth are capped out by you."

So, how do you keep the workplace environment as distraction-free as possible while giving your workers their independence? How do you manage employees without micromanaging? Here are some tips from the pros. 

Encourage Employees to Use Productivity Tools

Sipling has found that the Pomodoro Technique - a time management method that involves periods of focused work followed by short breaks of nonfocused tasks-works perfectly for him, and he encourages his employees to try it out. For instance, he'll do 35 minutes of in-the-zone writing, followed by 10 minutes of catching up on messages or handling a few short or one-off tasks.

"During the focused-work portion of the Pomodoro sprint, it's important to close Slack, Gmail, or any other input software and tools," he said. "It's all about closing or blocking the things that will disrupt your full attention. Everything else can queue up to be handled when your 10-minute focused work break comes around."

Sipling has worked with employees to help them implement the Pomodoro method as well. When he did it, all team members would operate on the same clock.

"We'd put our heads down collectively for 30 minutes, and then engage in collaboration and cross-talk for 10 minutes," he said. "[You could] set expectations that team members shouldn't expect a response if they send a message to a team member during their focus time."

Put Distance Between Employees and Managers

When employees are in the office, it's important to put some space between them and their managers, an approach practiced by Tim Connon, founder and CEO of ParamountQuote Insurance Advisors, a final expense insurance company in Tennessee.

"Typically, we just have our managers' desks in the back of the room so the
employees can have the front," said Connon, who oversees 55 employees. "The amount of distance between managers and employees helps them not feel monitored or watched."

According to Connon, this relieves some of the pressure on employees.

"When someone is standing over their shoulder, they feel as if they are being criticized, which makes them nervous," he said. "If an employee is nervous, they cannot work to their full ability."

Be Clear from the Start

If managers are clear from the start-whether they are hiring an employee and explaining the role or introducing a new project to an existing employee-then everyone will be on the same page. There won't be a need for overcommunication.

"When employees clearly understand what is expected of them, they can work independently towards achieving those goals," said Mary Alice Pizana, human resources generalist at Herrman and Herrman PLLC, a law firm in Texas with more than 200 employees. "It's also important to communicate openly and regularly with your team. By having transparent conversations about their progress and any challenges they may face, you can build trust and ensure everyone is on the same page."

Limit the Meetings

Meetings are a serious productivity killer. Yet, across the board, employees report that they are in too many meetings, which takes away from their work.
 
HireInfluence's Director of People and Culture Cyndi Rooks, SHRM-CP, who oversees 25 employees at the influencer marketing company, tries to limit meetings as much as possible for this very reason, and hopes other employers will do the same.

"Aside from weekly team meetings, we reserve meetings for prospective and current clients to give our employees the time and space they need to focus on the things that matter," she said.

Use Software to Your Advantage

While software and apps can be distracting, they also come with an upside: There are ways to use them for focusing. Just like the iPhone has a "Do Not Disturb" option, work software can be turned off temporarily, too.  

"Use software integrations to make announcing focus time easy," Sipling said. "For instance, Slack integrates with Google Calendar so that when your calendar shows you're busy (with a focus time block), it can update your Slack status to say, 'Focus mode,' so team members will know that you're not available for a quick reply."

Let Your Employees Work Independently

Figure out what works best for your employees, whether it's coming into the office, logging in remotely or a mix of both. At HireInfluence, employees are fully remote so they can enjoy flexibility and work/life balance.

"We believe it is important to give employees freedom to work remotely and at their own pace for maximum results," Rooks said. "Providing employees the flexibility they need encourages them to do the best they can. We have been remote since our founding, and our team has consistently exceeded client expectations. This goes to show employers do not have to micromanage teams to foster great results."

Sipling emphasized how letting workers be independent can lead to higher retention as well.
 
"As we know, people leave managers, not jobs," he said. "Therefore, ensure your team members are able to be independent, and you'll see increased retention and productivity among top performers."

Pizana has a similar approach to employee management.

"Sometimes, the best way to support your employees is by stepping back and letting them shine," she said. "It's essential to create a work environment that encourages trust and autonomy while maintaining open communication channels and setting clear expectations for all employees. By finding this balance, you can ensure that your team is productive and happy in their roles."

Kylie Ora Lobell is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles.