Tip of the Month - March
Coach Monika says…
Improving Your Focus and Attentiveness in Discussion with Others
It is crucial to understand one’s body language and behavior when engaging in discussion with others. The following four strategies can help enhance your focus and ability to attend to the information in your discussion with an athlete, parent{s}, or club administrator. These tips were modified from Harvard Medical School “Health Beat” (March 03, 2017).
When someone is talking to you, look at the person and listen closely. If you missed something that was said, ask the person to repeat and/or to speak more slowly.
Paraphrase what is said to make sure that you understand it and to reconfirm the information.
If you find that you tend to become distracted during conversations, arrange the meeting in a quiet environment or in your office, rather than at the noisy sport site. When meeting at a restaurant, sit at a table near a wall. If the other person sits against the wall, and you sit facing him/her, you'll be able to focus without having your attention wander to other diners.
You can improve your ability to focus on a task and screen out distractions by doing one ‘thing at a time.’ Try to avoid interruptions. For example, if someone asks you something while you're in the middle of reading or working, ask if the person can wait until you are finished. Avoid answering the phone until you have finished what you're doing – let voice mail take the call.