Standing in front of the E block security guards table in my condominium, to book a slot on the tennis court is a person (me). Mid-sentence, as I’m speaking to him, the phone rings. He lifts his hand, signalling me to stop speaking, and answers the phone. Another resident has called to book the court.
He takes the call, ignoring the person patiently standing right in front of him. What makes the phone such a powerful device that allows it to suck away our attention from the people around us? As a result of his effort to attend to the person on the phone and manage the one standing in front of him at the same time, my 7.00 am court booking is recorded as a 7.00 pm one on the wrong date.
Tring, tring, ping, ping, buzz, buzz, the sound of a call or message is like an itch that just has to be scratched. And we all know what happens when we give in to that act: the scratching (even when it’s not good for us) gets it grip, and everything else pales into insignificance.
If this can happen to a tower security guard, who is trying his best to do his job and serve two people with the best intent, “workplace distraction” for sure is a real problem in offices around the world.
Research shows that 80% of the global workforce lacks the time or energy to do their job well. The distraction crisis is a key contributor to what Microsoft calls the “capacity gap.” Their 2025 Work Trend Index found that 80% of the global workforce-both employees and leaders-report lacking the time or energy to do their job effectively. While distraction isn’t the only cause, it’s a primary one: when interruptions consume hours of productive capacity each day, the remaining time simply isn’t sufficient for the work that needs to be done. Source: Microsoft Work Trend Index 2025
The antidote to this distraction crisis needs a systemic change, and shining a light on the problem is a start. Knowing that multitasking is inefficient and hampers quality is a good start. Being aware of the impact a smartphone on your bedside table or in your hand during a meeting can have is important.
While there will be many factors that need to change, I also believe that change begins with me. What can I do? For starters, I can decide not to open my eyes and open my phone. I can decide that when I am in a meeting with someone, I will keep my phone on silent and out of sight. Where attention goes, energy flows. I must be more mindful of this in my everyday life. Pick a lane: does the phone get priority or the person in front of me?
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