Increase Your Energy and Productivity Using the Science of Timing and Focus

Traditional Classroom: ½-day
Virtual Instructor-led: One 3-hour session; Two 90-minute sessions

Do you find yourself distracted throughout the workday, quickly hitting the point of diminishing returns with mental clarity? Do you end your days drained of energy, or full of life? In this attention economy we inhabit, the ability to maintain focus and concentration is every bit as important as technical or management skills.

In this highly interactive session, you will discover why single-tasking during your hours of peak productivity is more effective than “multitasking” throughout the day. (You will also learn that human beings don’t multitask.) After identifying your chronotype, you’ll learn how to schedule your day to match tasks to the fluctuating pattern of energy and focus. You will explore mindfulness techniques as well as various tactics to minimize distractions and optimize your attention and mental clarity. Finally, you will learn that productivity is not about how much we produce, but how much we accomplish.

Target Audience

Individuals who will benefit from this course include anyone who wants to increase their time management skills.

Learning Objectives

Distinguish between multitasking and “switch-tasking.”
Infer root causes of various real-life distractions.
Explain psychological and physiological impacts of repeated switch-tasking.
Identify concrete ways to mitigate internal and external disruptions.
Utilize mindfulness techniques to strengthen focus.
Leverage a scientific model to determine your hours of peak productivity.
Structure your day to best exploit your fluctuating energy levels.

Pre-Course Work

Listen: “How to Stop Wasting Time and Start Wielding Ic” — podcast featuring Donald Miller and Dan Pink (25 min.)

Course Outline

Opening Activities

Course Goal and Objectives
Participant Introductions and Expectations
Activity: Time Management Spectrogram

Dealing with Distractions

Exploring Your Current Workload
Individual Activity: Your Typical Workday
Group Activity: Typical Work Day Challenges
Unpacking the Myth of Multitasking

Interruption Science and Productivity

The Costs of Disruption
- Mental
- Physiological
- Tangible (Quality of Work Product and Performance)

Embracing Mindfulness

Ways to Deal with Distractions
Two Core Skills of Mindfulness
Mindfulness Meditation
Individual Activity: Planning and Scheduling Your Day

Finding Your Best “When”

Daniel Pink — Why When You Do Something Matters
Peak, Trough, Recovery

Determining Your Chronotype

Identifying Your Best When
Applying the Science of Timing

Structuring Your Day for Success

Using Your Best “When” to Schedule Your Day
Individual and Group Activity: Categorizing and Scheduling Tasks
The Importance of Breaks

Summary and Action Planning

MDV5001 Course Code

For more information on this topic, as well as how Corporate Education Group can help power your organization’s performance, contact us via email or call 1.800.288.7246 (US only) or +1.978.649.8200. You can also use our Information Request Form!

Practice Area

Management and Leadership