How to keep remote teams focused

- Did you know that according to researchers on the average workers are interrupted every three minutes and it can take up to 20 minutes to get back on track with what they were working on to begin with. During this lesson, I'll provide you with a few key strategies for keeping you and your team more aware and focused by reducing your internal and external interruptions and keeping everyone on track. First, practice awareness and active listening. Most of us have short attention spans and it's easy for our minds to wander when someone else is talking or we may be planning our response to what someone else's saying while they're still talking. Your mind wanders within person interactions but the potential for your awareness to drift away from conversations happen even more in the virtual space. So you need to make an extra effort to actively listen to a virtual discussion without the distraction of your mind. First, give the person speaking your complete attention and show that you're listening. Next, a simple nod or leaning forward indicates your interest. Then affirm that you are listening with simple statements such as, I understand, yes, sure, I know and remember too spot appropriately to what they've been saying. Ask open-ended questions to gain clarity and acknowledge that you were listening. Next, listen for clues. I always do a personal check-in with my team during our one-on-one virtual meetings. I listen for subtle clues that indicate that something may be troubling them. Often, I can hear subtle tiredness or sadness in their voice. Check in to see if their voice or facial expressions are a bit different than usual. Perhaps they seem under stress. Being aware of the clues can identify who's probably struggling with something. Politely ask if something is wrong and wait for an answer. Don't apply pressure for your team to tell you just give the space to open up. Also stay on time and topic in virtual meetings. Virtual meetings are often hijacked by someone who is rambling on or going off on a tangent. It's tedious enough in person but it can lead to everyone else checking out in a virtual meeting. Here are a couple of tips to get the meeting back on track. One, have an agenda sent out in advance of the meeting and stick to it. For rambling, you can have your team agree on a signal in advance maybe an emoticon or pressing a key on a phone that can let someone know to wrap up what they're saying. If it is off topic, ask the discussion to be taken offline or at another meeting. Assign someone to take notes on screen. So everyone keeps their focus keep your virtual meeting short and to the point. That will allow attendees to be engaged and focused on the topic discussed. As a leader, it is your responsibility to keep the meeting moving forward. Finally, practice mindfulness the term mindfulness crept into our corporate language during the last few years. Google and many other companies promote mindfulness and have increased productivity as a result. How does mindfulness fit into our virtual workplace? Mindfulness is the act of bringing your wandering mind back to present without any judgment. By practicing mindfulness, you will be able to focus on one thing at a time with your full attention. You can also support your team in becoming more mindful while working virtually. Here are some mindful tips that you can use right now and encourage your team to practice them as well. Take a 10 minute mental break from work at least every 90 minutes to increase concentration. Avoid switching from one task to another too quickly. I work best by bringing my full attention on one task at a time for at least 25 minutes before shifting to something else. Being mindful, listening actively, directing your team's focus are components you can bring into your digital exchanges immediately. You will be leading effectively and reaching your key objectives in your remote leadership role.