Can I Have Your Attention?

Chapter 24After All, We're Here to Work

My friend Dan is a true genius. After graduating from John Hopkins University with a degree in mechanical engineering, he got what he thought would be a dream job working for a defense contractor. In reality, the only dream involved would have been the ones during the naps he could have taken at his desk because he was so bored. But rather than nap (as fulfilling as that would have been), Dan used his immense amount of free time at work to get his master's while sitting at his desk. Most folks aren't as industrious as Dan. They just watch YouTube videos…or actually nap.

Much of this book has been about distractions luring our people away from accomplishing focused work. In the last chapter, we exhorted you to inspire them.

Now they're leaving the pep rally and going back to work. And if their work bores them, you can be a combination of Tony Robbins, Simon Sinek, and Mark Zuckerberg, and it won't matter. They'll just become distracted again. So how do you keep your employees focused and driven when they can watch YouTube videos or take naps at their desk?

Surprisingly, the solution is simple.

Make their work harder.

It sounds counterintuitive. My people feel overwhelmed and distracted…and the solution is to give them more work?

Yes. More work, and more challenging work.

Your People Are Bored

Almost half the workforce in America is bored out of their minds. No wonder they're so easily swayed by distractions.

When asked in a survey whether ...