Sidetracks that lead forward: Business professionals say distractions in the workplace, managed correctly, can be beneficial

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People are easily distracted, especially at work, which is never good.

Or is it?

A recent University of California, Irvine, study showed it took up to 23 minutes to recover from a distraction — small wonder then that work environments full of social-media busybodies and shiny objects can sap productivity.

On the other hand, employers with some of the most celebrated work environments and cultures, such as Zappos and Google, offer diversions and luxe spaces to let employees get away from their desks. They argue that productivity increases if the brain is given breaks throughout the day.

So, which is it?

Some employers are embracing the notion that distractions — if adroitly managed — can spur productivity and creativity.

“Intuitively, it feels as though a distraction, something that makes it difficult to think or pay attention, is something you want to reduce as much as possible,” said Craig Kirkland, executive vice president and director of retail banking at Nevada State Bank. “There is more information and stimuli competing for our attention than ever before, making it increasingly difficult to curb distractions. The notion that you can ‘keep an employee from getting distracted’ almost requires that you have your thumb on them much of the day, which tends to be rather difficult and which could stifle creativity.”

Employers can, however, “embrace the inevitable distraction,” Kirkland added, “and work to create an environment where it can be used to foster better communication and cultivate more creative thought.”

“I think it is inevitable that people will get distracted at work,” said attorney Jennifer Braster, a partner along with John Naylor in the law firm of Naylor & Braster. “We are humans, not robots. Studies repeatedly show that when you give employees breaks and they get up from their desks, they’re more productive.”

Her suggestion: “Take a walk around the block. Check in with your kids after school. I find that these breaks are helpful and do increase productivity. Plus, it is a better working atmosphere.”

Whether distraction is good or bad “depends on the distraction,” said Bob Sheridan, executive field director of network operations for Cox Communications. “Sometimes we let our time slip away and react to the urgent instead of the important. We all need to learn how to say no sometimes.”

Distractions help when they give us “a needed break from what we’ve been doing,” he said. “We all need to recharge our batteries and sharpen the saw from time to time.”

Conversely, when people abuse the privilege “by constantly interrupting and asking us to do things that they should probably be doing” productivity drops, Sheridan said. “If we don’t learn to say no — for the right reasons — and accept other people’s monkeys (a reference to Ken Blanchard’s “The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey”), we will soon become overloaded.”

Buzzing with creativity

AdYoYo, a Las Vegas-based tech firm that has launched a video-only app that brings thousands of local buyers and sellers together, incorporates an open-office concept and a communal workstation where team members from various departments are able to work closely together, said its president, Christopher Kelly.

The setup, however, is not without challenges.

“When you have multiple people working in a shared workspace, it can be difficult to reduce outside white noise and keep the group focused,” Kelly said. “But we find that this office layout offers more advantages than it does disadvantages.”

Staffers are able to create efficient synergies, brainstorm across departments and receive input from every facet of the operation they otherwise would not be able to accomplish with a cubicle-style office.

“We also have found that our team experiences less burnout or work fatigue because our office environment is always buzzing with the team’s creativity,” Kelly added. “Imagine going into an office where you sit in a chair and stare at a computer screen all day without any distractions. How long do you think you could do that for? Would you feel like you were working in a vacuum? These are the things we took into consideration when we designed AdYoYo’s office.”

Kelly and his colleagues want their team to work closely together, to know each other well, to inspire each other’s creativity and to make work fun. Energy is contagious, they believe, “and when we look at distractions as team engagement and creativity building, it entirely turns the concept on its head into its true potential.”

Naturally, distractions — even when planned — need to be controlled. At AdYoYo, managers work hard to keep outside distractions from affecting the office. The major challenge of a collaborative environment is keeping everyone on the same track and involved enough in their own work to get their tasks done.

Said Kelly: “We have private offices that are available for any team member to use for an hour or two when they feel the need to hunker down in a quiet space and focus solely on the task at hand. For us, it’s all about balance.”

Respecting that need to privacy remains key. As Kelly said, “There are times when a team member needs to really focus on their tasks — especially if they are facing a looming deadline, or just need a quiet space to work or think things through.”

In addition, while AdYoYo’s management encourages the team to talk and collaborate, it also encourages staff members to leave outside distractions at the door when they walk into the office.

“This keeps our internal distractions related to our office, culture, goals and work,” Kelly said, “and other personal distractions reserved for time outside of our communal workspace.”

Indeed, at AdYoYo, staffers have come to rely on collaboration.

“Many of our team members wear multiple hats, and we use ‘distractions’ as opportunities to learn, build and grow with each other,” Kelly said. “The left hand knows what the right hand is doing, and we all share the same vision, working together toward our big goals.”

Entertaining, inspiring distractions

As a nonprofit organization, the Smith Center for the Performing Arts has a unique perspective on the topic of employee distractions.

“Our whole reason for being is to provide entertaining and inspiring distractions for our community,” said Myron Martin, president and CEO of the Smith Center. “As a result, our team members are constantly immersed in this world. We wouldn’t have it any other way.”

The leadership team strongly encourages team members to “engage with the distractions constantly created on our campus, which allows them to see their hard work brought to life.”

An example is the educational student matinees the Smith Center hosts in its theaters. Throughout the year, thousands of schoolchildren come on weekday mornings and afternoons to enjoy inspiring shows and learn about the performing arts.

“Every time students visit, our team members volunteer to hold the doors open for our youngest patrons so they can safely enter,” Martin said. “Team members can even sit in on part of the matinees, to witness what our education and outreach programs are providing for younger generations.”

Distractions can be helpful, Martin added, “when they serve as a reminder to team members of the importance and value of their work.”

“When Smith Center team members witness the incredible joy of community members who experience shows and events at our facility, they know everything they do is worthwhile,” he added. “And when they see people using the Smith Center as a backdrop for their photos, it brings them pride.”

Distractions can have their advantages.

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