One of the Breakthrough Ideas for 2007 has received more of my attention in the past week than the others - Continuous Partial Attention.
I’ve received a few emails and have had a number of conversations with friends on the subject. My six word summary didn’t do it justice - it’s an interesting topic.
Linda Stone, the author of the essay in HBR and the coiner of the phrase, has a wiki on the subject with some great resources.
“Continuous Partial Attention is motivated by a desire to be a LIVE node on the network. Another way of saying this is that we want to connect and be connected. We want to effectively scan for opportunity and optimize for the best opportunities, activities, and contacts, in any given moment.”
Is it a bad thing? I’m sure it could be, but when managed properly it can be a valuable trait. Just ask Seth (he’s right, this is going to be a skill in high-demand).
But how to handle (/thrive) with the info glut? Some quick thoughts based on personal experiences:
- Develop an amazing ability to skim content for focused information (a skill I honed while pouring over Beckett Price Guides when I was 10).
- Utilize available technologies to aggregate information. Feedreaders are a great tool for this. Skim headlines looking for key content - based on author/title - and skim once the post opens, looking for content of interest. If it looks valuable, slow down enough to make a decision: consume now, or file for later consumption (i.e. if the article is long or requires lots of thought).
- Utilize available technologies to streamline/organize information. I star posts within the reader to read later, tag content to del.icio.us for future reference, email myself links, …
- Don’t duplicate. I forward a number of email addresses to a single account - I can check all email in a single location at a single time. Also, email is pushed to my blackberry so that it comes to me in a way that it can be scanned (do I need to act now? can I act later? is a response necessary at all?)
There are plenty of other ways that I handle and process information, but I’m heading to read (great book(s) on the go). I’m interested in hearing any tips on how you manage the noise in your search for the signal.
In summary I think it comes down to a simple conclusion that I’ve come to while writing this: continuous partial attention requires a rigorous focus on the process of focusing a little on a lot.
Add New Comment
Viewing 8 Comments
Thanks. Your comment is awaiting approval by a moderator.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Add New Comment