Be Present
Have you ever walked into someone’s office for a conversation, only to have them keep typing while you talked?
They may have heard every word. But what did their divided attention tell you about how much you mattered?
I’ve done this, and I suspect most of us have at one time or another.
I’ve been heads down working on something important—or watching a football game—when someone approached me with a question or concern. I barely looked up to acknowledge them before returning to what I was doing.
I acted as though I was engaged, but my attention was elsewhere. Later, I could barely remember the conversation or what I had committed to doing.
I wasn’t trying to be rude. But the person standing in front of me couldn’t experience my intentions. They experienced my divided attention.
I’ve also been on the receiving end. I left feeling disrespected and unheard, wondering why I had bothered. It certainly didn’t make me eager to return.
That should have told me something about how others might feel after approaching me.
I was treating the conversation as an obligation to get through. Yet someone had chosen to bring me a question, a concern, or something they wanted to share. It mattered enough to them to seek me out.
That was an opportunity—and a privilege—I was overlooking.
As leaders, we say we want people to come to us. We want them to raise concerns, share ideas, and ask for help. But when they do, our response tells them whether that invitation is real.
If we consistently make them feel like an interruption, eventually they may stop interrupting.
Their silence won’t mean we have built a stronger team. It may mean we have weakened the connection.
What would change if we saw those moments differently?
The work in front of us may be important. So is the person.
We won’t always be able to stop immediately. But we can acknowledge someone with care, make time for the conversation, and give them our attention when we have it. A respectful commitment to talk later means more than pretending to be present now.
Connection grows when people experience that they matter to us. Our attention makes that care tangible.
Where might your divided attention be telling someone they are less important than the task in front of you?
How would your response change if you viewed their approach as an opportunity to connect?
What could that relationship become if they consistently experienced your full attention?
Today, recognize the opportunity when someone approaches you. Stop typing. Turn away from the screen. Give them your attention. If you need to finish something first, agree on a time to talk—and keep that commitment.
What we call an interruption may be our chance to show someone they matter.
