And just like that, focus is gone.
It looks like an innocent question, responsible even … you’re “just” exploring options … but here’s what really happens.
It comes up in the next team meeting (“The boss wants to know”).
It’s not exactly a priority, just something “to be aware of”.
Someone volunteers to dig a little deeper, just to be helpful.
Someone else adds a related idea that might also be worth exploring.
A short list appears.
People want to be supportive, so they say yes.
By the end of the week, the team is no longer working on one thing. They’re working on five.
And it all started with a small phrase:
“Can you take a quick look?”
That’s how focus breaks. Not because anyone lacked discipline (in fact, everyone is highly disciplined in the example), but because everyday language creates ambiguity.
Remember that in an organization, every word from someone with authority has executive weight.
Your team takes your questions seriously. So, even a well-meant inquiry can create loads of work. And dilute focus as a consequence.
→ You’ll need corrections in place to avoid this.
One of the most effective ways is to have a guiding sentence for the year. A client of mine last year chose this one:
“Every decision for new work begins with what we will stop to make space for the work.”
The trick is to give your team permission to use this against you. Whenever you come up with an “innocent” idea, they can throw this guiding sentence at you.
If your idea doesn’t hold up, it’s dismissed immediately.
Do you have a guiding sentence for your organization? It will boost your impact if you invest the time to find it. The newest issue of What the Best Leaders Say shows you how they do it.
Keep lighting the path,
Michael
