How not to be boring

Attention spans are shrinking. Demands are expanding. How do you balance what you need to communicate – or, let’s face it, what you’re required to communicate – with the challenges facing today’s workforce?

Two guiding rules emerged from Ragan’s Internal Communications & Employee Engagement Summit at Facebook:

So, why are attention spans shrinking? 

That’s an easy one – technology. As technology becomes more accessible and prominent, more content is readily available. That means everyone has easy access to everything, including social media, video and music.

Also not helping: all the ways messages can reach us (and interrupt us): in person, via Skype, in an email, text message or phone call.

Here’s a statistic that will blow your multi-tasking brain: It takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to refocus on your work after being interrupted, according to a University of California Irvine study.

Competing content, a variety of communication tools and ease of access lessen the time people pay attention to any one thing.

What does this mean for communicators?