Distraction & Lost IQ
People get distracted- it’s no secret or surprise. In almost every arena, we find our attention wavering, especially when we need to stay focused. Unfortunately, work is no exception. In fact, workers are especially distracted at work, from cell phones to internet to co-worker chatter. Workers lose a lot of time to distraction. And according to a 2005 study, these distractions have never been more costly.
- 1 in 5 workers will interrupt a business or social engagement to respond to a message.
- 9 out of 10 people thought colleagues who answered messages during face-to-face meetings were rude. Interestingly, 3 out of 10 believed it was not only acceptable, but a sign of diligence and efficiency.
- Ultimately, this level of distraction is equivalent to a 10 point IQ loss.
It’s interesting to note how colleagues see these interruptions, what’s much more important is how much the brain suffers from distraction.Trying to balance work, co-worker conversations, internet interests (personal and otherwise), and all kinds of messages can’t be anything other than distracting.
More on IQ loss
In 80 clinical studies, Dr. Glenn Wilson of King’s College London University found that distracted workers lost 10 IQ points, the equivalent of a lost night of sleep and more than two times worse than smoking marijuana (a 4-point loss). After nursing 3 babies through the night, I can attest to how difficult it is to function during the day without a full night of sleep. As a manager, who wants the equivalent of a whole office of sleep-deprived new mothers or drugged up addicts?
Sound Masking for Better IQ & Fewer Losses
Businesses lose almost $600 billion a year because of office distractions like the ones listed above. This is a result of workers finding themselves distracted more than 2 hours every day. The most commonly reported distraction in co-worker conversation. Sound masking is the use of low-level background noise, white noise, to cover distracting noises, such as office conversations and common noises. It serves as a buffer for workers when so much is going around them.
IQ loss and profit loss are not a coincidence. You can’t raise your employees’ IQ, but you can protect them from distraction with sound masking.