Focus Vs Distraction - Which Is better?
By Antje Bauer
One of Gallup’s CliftonStrengths® I’ve been giving more thought to lately is Focus®. People who have high Focus® essentially have a natural talent to center everything around one thing and push that through.
That’s a great quote about Focus® and goes with the definition according to Gallup’ which states that, “People exceptionally talented in the Focus® theme can take a direction, follow through and make the corrections necessary to stay on track. They prioritize, then act.”
Sounds like a good talent to have, right? At first, I had the opinion that people who have this talent in today’s world should be incredibly happy. It’s like a counterbalance to all the diversion, diversity and distraction that our current society and devices/social media provide.
People with this talent have the natural ability to focus on one thing and that has great value. For example, athletes who focus hard on their training can accomplish brilliant things in a game or tournament. However, focusing on one thing only also limits you to solely being developed in one area. Take for example a basketball player who trained all their life to play professionally, but when they get the chance, they get injured in the first year of their career. What then?
Singular focus can be dangerous
Recently, working with a few clients, I realized that this natural talent to focus can be dangerous if you do not manage it consciously or wisely. Focusing too highly on one thing can result in neglect of all the other things that are going on around you or of catering to a particular aspect of something which might not be at the core of your focus.
Let’s use another example of this. Say you want to start a fashion brand, so you go to the best fashion school and you’re at the top of your class. You know how to make the best couture style gowns. However, you didn’t spend any time on fashion marketing, or pitching your business to investors. A very narrow focus proves to be dangerous in this case.
Focusing on a core concept
Last year, I was working with a client and helping them understand how to manage their Focus® in a way that it becomes a core strength rather than a career blocker. What I learned from this interaction is that it's actually equally difficult to help someone with Focus® as it is to manage someone who is distracted easily, someone who might suffer from ADHD for example or from Dopamine dependence.
Going back to the example of the fashion designer, had they focused on a core concept of building a clothing brand that is sustainable or uplifts people, it might have expanded their attention to also learn about sustainability or to interact with people from different walks of life, etc. Coupled with their natural ability to focus, they would be more equipped to grow professionally and personally.
As with every talent, the clue lies in finding the right balance. I do think that expanding your attention to a core concept rather than just one skill or one slice of the pie gives you more room to grow and develop.
