Push the pause button

An ad agency for Staples made the “easy button” famous. And it’s still relevant. If you can accomplish a production task in three steps instead of seven, then figure out how to get it functional. Of course, there’s the popular adage, “This meeting could have been an email.” Owners and managers are doing a decent job of finding ways to push the easy button for day-to-day duties.

But are you making an effort to push the pause button?

We’ve put so much focus on busyness as a society, it’s created a chaotic lifestyle at work and home — one that causes distance and disengagement. Does your inbox have thousands of emails? (Confession: Mine does. And it’s a serious problem for me. I haven’t quite figured out how to fix it.) Do you have dozens of tabs open on your browser? (Ahem, guilty. Again.)

When a team member enters your office, do you look up from your computer or phone? Are you providing them with the attention they need (and deserve)? Or are you staring at your screen, hearing about half of what they say and interjecting a few “uh huhs” here and there? (I’ve been guilty of that, too. Both at work and at home.)

You may have heard everything they said about the environmental control system needing an update, and you may have responded accordingly. However, without making eye contact and without stopping what you’re doing to engage with them, you missed the opportunity to make that person feel valued and appreciated. And you likely missed an opportunity to hear a good idea or solution from them.

If they think (see) you’re not engaged in the conversation, they’re likely to just slink away from your door and not share their feedback. Even if they think it’s a great idea and are certain it will solve a problem or save money, your lack of response/eye contact/interest creates a wall.

Use that pause button more often throughout the day.

In those instances when you can’t because something truly is more pressing, it takes 30 seconds to say, “I want to hear what you have to say. Come back in 10 minutes, and we’ll talk.”

People want to feel valued and appreciated. And when they do, they’ll be dedicated to presenting ideas and solutions.

Pushing the pause button could boost employee retention, team satisfaction, customer service and profits.