I recently received a book written by Christian D. Larsen titled Concentration that was published in 1920 by Thomas Y. Crowell Company of New York.  The book belonged to my grandmother, Marjorie MacPhee, whom we knew as, "Buddie."

Could these insights help us today?  Maybe.  For a change of pace here is a quick glance at what Mr. Larsen recommended in 1920:

1.  One Thing.  "Concentration in general may be defined as an active state of mind wherein the whole of attention, with all available energy and talent, is being applied upon the one thing that we are doing now." It sounds like multitasking was unproductive even before it became a word...

2.  Interesting.  Concentration increases when the subject is interesting.  So what if it's not interesting?  See #3.

3.  Relate It To You.  Ask questions, and lots of them, to learn more about the subject and identify where it relates to your interests.  The act of looking for how it might interest you increases concentration and develops a perspective of interest within you.

4.  Do not be superficial.  Go deep into the subject so you actually enter the comprehend the process and its end result.  "...We may, when concentrating in a superficial manner, secure some slight results temporarily, but it is those deeper, finer, more penetrating currents that produce real results.."

5.  Will Power.  Apply your will power to go deep in concentration.

6.  Desire.  Develop a real desire to understand the subject, which relates back to #3.  The deeper your desire the more thoroughly you can concentrate.

7.  Imagination.  Use your imagination to increase your concentration.

8.  Use your entire brain.  "When we think, we should not simply think with the brain, but think with every force and element in the entire personality..."

9.  Focus.  Control the focus of your mind so there is a balance between concentrating on the subject and being open to inspiration around you.

10.  Dream.  Nothing is impossible to those who develop the skill of concentration.

MEETING IDEAS

CONCENTRATION is about pausing to consider if you are fully concentrating when you work.  If you allow distractions or you are rushing so much that you do not fully consider a topic, then consider reflecting on some of these points from 90 years ago.

Here is one way to discuss concentration with your team:

1.  What is one project, activity, responsibility... that recently we completed at less than our best?

2.  What are the reasons we did less than our best?  (After you list them, reorganize the list in order of impact on the work with the biggest hindrance at the top.  Weight each item for what it contributed to the poor outcome, with the total weight for the list being 100%.)

3.  How did our ability to concentrate, or not fully concentrate, contribute to this project's average (or worse) outcome?

4.  What is one behavior each of us could work on over the next 90 days to develop a new or improved habit that enables us to concentrate more fully?

5.  How can each of us be held accountable to develop this habit?

Give it a try.  If you are not improving then you are wasting time.  Commit yourself to develop one new habit that will help you fulfill your responsibilities more superbly so you can be one step closer to achieving your dreams.