By Beatriz Arantes
Edition 6 – October 2015 Pages 10-13
Tags: office design • wellbeing • human resources
The average worker is interrupted or distracted every three minutes and it takes them 23 minutes to return to a task after being interrupted. Office workers are overwhelmed by distractions, due mainly to a lack of understanding of how to manage attention. Distractions and the inability to focus negatively affects productivity, engagement, wellbeing and overall performance in organisations.
We long to be more effective, but the harder we try, the more tired our brains become. Attention meltdowns are epidemic because workers do not understand what attention is, how to manage it or have access to the best places to support their tasks.
In workplaces throughout the world scenarios of near constant distraction have become the norm, to such an extent that often people do not even feel compelled to comment on them and their consequences. But as a result of the vast amount of neuroscience research being carried out into the effects of this on people, there is now hard evidence about what attention is, how it works, how to attain it and how to use it productively for competitive advantage.
That is why we at Steelcase have presented this meta-analysis, based on the findings of neuroscientists and cognitive researchers worldwide, integrating discoveries from these experts with our own ongoing investigations into workers’ behaviours and the changing nature of work.
In collaboration with the distinguished neuroscientist Dr. Henning Beck, our researchers found a convergence of findings that inspired new perspectives and new ideas on the physical environment and how that environment, when thoughtfully designed, can be an effective tool to help workers better manage their attention.
There are certain key insights that are important to bear in mind when considering the nature of the brain and its role in workplace design and management. These include:
• Attention is limited and is a human’s most precious resource
• People do not know how to manage their attention
• Attention is directly linked to productivity, wellbeing, engagement and overall performance
• There are three brain modes—focus, activation and regeneration—that each require distinct behaviors and settings
• The workplace can help mitigate distractions and prime us to better manage our attention
Understanding Attention
The prefrontal cortex, often described as the executive centre or the CEO of the brain, is the director of our attention. It’s the last major region to develop in our evolutionary history, and it’s what enables us to selectively focus on something. But there is more to attention than just the prefrontal cortex. Other brain functions that impact attention include:
• Psychological state of arousal: Being alert or lethargic determines if we can control our attention or if our minds are unable to sit still and jump from topic to topic.
• Limbic System: Dispersed parts of the brain that deal with emotion help bring attention. Fear or excitement calls for attention more easily than neutral objects or topics.
• Motor orientation: The closer our sensory receptors are to a source of stimulation the easier it is to pay attention.
• Internal thoughts and concerns: Internally generated lapses in attention are activated by the medial prefrontal cortex, a special part of the prefrontal cortex that’s triggered by thoughts of ourselves and of other people….