Want to differentiate your organization? Pay attention!

Rich Obertots, CEO of ThinkThroughTools, takes Bill Gates’ advice more seriously than ever when Gates says, “Own a scarce resource.” And he’s done pretty well with that advice.
 
“It used to be that one of the scarcest and most valuable resources was time,” says Rich. “That’s no longer the case as so many operate almost 24/7 and so much can be done 24/7.”
 
For Rich, the scarcest resource today is undivided attention. It is also one of the most valuable resources.
 
 “Each of us, and our four categories of customers, are relentlessly bombarded minute-by-minute by intrusion messaging,” he says. “Whatever you do and wherever you go, interruptions and intrusions on your attention are happening. It’s constant.”
 
All of our senses--sights, sounds, impulses, and sensations--are so overwhelmed that almost none get undivided attention.
 
“And what is it we as humans crave?” asks Rich.  “Undivided attention. As a marketer or outreacher, what is essential to give to your customers? Undivided attention.”
 
So how can you give undivided attention?
 
Rich says that it’s through engagement, when you devote all to a customer, especially in their presence.
 
“When you do not answer the cell phone, do not glance at your PDA, Blackberry® – or iPhone®, you give undivided attention,” he says. “You prove to your customers that, YOU MATTER! Now, you own a scarce resource because it’s highly likely that your rivals are not giving undivided attention.”
 
In meetings, seminars and conferences, even in public places, Rich says that he has grown increasingly frustrated with how often people are glancing at their PDA, Blackberry® or other cellular device.
 
“I would observe others engaged in an important conversation, and one person will be in a middle of a sentence, and the other person would completely break away to grab their phone,” Rich says. “And in meetings, there is that constant glancing, even if people don’t answer it, they are constantly looking down every time their phone vibrates.”
 
Time no longer seems to matter in today’s culture and it’s because we have become reflexive. How many messages are truly urgent? Rich argues that as a society, we have made every single message we receive urgent. By giving the person you are with, whether it’s a customer or colleague, giving them undivided attention is becoming a differentiator.
 
“Find a way to show people that you are different,” says Rich. “By not answering your phone or glancing at your iPhone®, you become known, respected, trusted and differentiated in doing this. You can create a culture of YOU MATTER by engaging in undivided attention. We hope to get our customers doing this.”
 
Stephen Covey’s book, First Things First addresses this concept as well. He writes that we need to look at our life and determine what’s really urgent and what’s really important. What should matter most are things that are important, but not urgent.
 
“I met an executive once in Indianapolis who told me that if he doesn’t answer his Blackberry® from anyone calling in senior management within a few minutes at anytime during the day, you are violating company policy,” he says. “If you carefully look at our day, how many messages are truly urgent?”
 
Rich’s YOU MATTER message in last month’s edition of the AAMS newsletter struck a chord with AAMS president, Sandy Kinkade of Bell Helicopter.
 
“This is a personal pet peeve of mine as well,” says Sandy. “In fact, at the upcoming AAMS board meeting, a new "policy" is going to be tested with requesting people to put "flaps down". In other words, close the laptops during the meeting and keep the Blackberry® on phone only.”
 
Sandy said they tried this experiment at a special-called meeting last November.
 
“Everyone recognized how much more engaged and efficient they all were,” she says.
 
Rich applauds Sandy’s move.
 
“Sandy’s reaction to this was so positive,” says Rich. “I was so excited and enthused to hear her response to YOU MATTER. What she plans to do at the meetings now is absolutely and truly innovative. This is a true act of undivided attention and we need more of this. We think the results are truly self-evident.”