No one has an on-and-off switch embedded in the brain. At any given moment, we experience a constant flow of randomness that is shaped by momentary suddenness, happiness, pleasure, frustration, anger, deception, motivation, inspiration — and a motley of other emotions. Nonetheless, despite this inescapable truth, what we all need is crystal clear focus. This ability to focus is the prerequisite for addressing the multitude of problems we face and for designing alternative solutions we desperately need to remain relevant.
The technologies in use today are so embedded in our personal, social, and work lives. They continue to grow more pervasive and increasingly influence not only our behavior, but also our ways of thinking and then acting on those ideas. Further, we lack the capacity to digest an influx of non-stop information — much of which is irrelevant to us — thereby limiting our ability to focus on what is important and what is not. This key reason underlies why we should not allow technology to overshadow our values and principles, and to reshape our thoughts into something unrecognizable.
This need for focus — and unfortunate lack of it — is a problem for us not only as individuals, but also as organisations. When organisational leaders lack focus, the ripple effect flows down the ranks and into the community. But despite the troublesome implications, potential solutions do exist to remedy this lack of focus. The first step is to understand why it is missing in organisations.
5 Reasons Why Organisations Fail to Focus
Reason # 1. A misaligned leadership team that is not well-informed cannot accurately read the organisation.
When top management dismisses the concerns of its workforce — even though company culture might encourage employees to freely express their thoughts — and then ignores the feedback received (negative or positive), it is easy for leaders to misread their people. Without grasping what employees want and need in order to be productive and remain with the organisation, the result becomes a mix of increased turnover, lower morale, decreased productivity, and — eventually — adverse implications for the company’s financial bottom line.
