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“Know your why” has become something of an entrepreneurship mantra. It’s a weighty and worthwhile concept, and not just for startup CEOs. “Why” in the hands of a strong leader—or as a core element of company culture—is a powerful motivator. 

You can see the “why” of why by looking at the development of a company. At the startup stage when headcount is low, team members wear multiple hats and are a part of, or at least aware of, big-picture discussions. They see firsthand how their daily duties impact the organization’s growth, and being part of that movement is its own psychological reward.

As businesses grow larger, they tend to add organizational layers and hierarchies. Specialized departments emerge, offices spread across multiple floors of a building, or across campuses. Where before there was literal closeness and easy communication, now there are departments and teams that often have little interaction. These siloes hinder collaboration and information-sharing, and can leave employees feeling separated or unaware of the bigger picture.

It’s at this stage that “why” can have a powerful effect. When teams are grinding away implementing a new data security system or pulling overtime to launch a marketing campaign, you want them to know the reasons they’re doing those things. How will that security system impact the rest of the company? Why does this particular campaign matter in a broader sense? Put simply: Why should they care about what they’re doing?

Sure, financial incentives matter, especially if you want to ensure that your workers enjoy a high quality of life. But money isn’t everything, especially to younger professionals. In one study, 94% of Millennials said they want to serve a cause, and research shows that employees in general would take a 32% pay reduction for the chance at more meaningful work. Value is clearly more than a paycheck.

Why define your why?

Pursuing a worthy goal is vital to living a meaningful, satisfying life. Considering that people spend the majority of their adult lives in their careers, how they perceive their work affects their well-being. When people are aimless and unhappy, their mental and physical health suffers, causing them to disengage. Absenteeism costs American companies more than $225 billion a year, so keeping people motivated and fulfilled is just good business.

Motivation has also been shown to correlate with happiness, a key factor in productivity. Happy workers are 12% more productive than their glum counterparts, and you can boost the good feelings by reminding your team often of how they’re helping the company and your customers. Helping other people generates feelings of happiness, so educate your employees about the impact your products and services have.

The more internal-facing someone’s position is, the more difficult it may be for them to see their impact day-to-day. Let them know that the boost in sales profits this quarter allowed you to increase your corporate social responsibility budget and that they played a role in that. Tell your strategists how the new business plan they prepared for a client directly enhanced that company’s donations to a low-income community. Whatever your business’s ultimate goal, make sure employees know how they help you reach it. If they can keep the end goals mind, they’ll stay motivated to deliver great work and drive results.

Everyday motivation

You don’t need to begin each morning with rousing speeches about how your company is changing the world. Though integrating your mission into internal communications is a good way to keep it top of mind. Sometimes you just need to help people see just a bit broader than what’s in front of them.

Let’s say you’ve put together a cross-functional team to work on a high-priority project. You know everyone in the group is talented and goal-oriented, but they don’t know each other very well. Lack of familiarity can breed apprehension and cause people to withdraw into their own areas of expertise.

Laying out the project goals and how they correspond to the company’s success can change that dynamic. A shared purpose unifies employees and fosters trust. It also mitigates frustration and negativity when the project hits a snag or the team suffers a setback. The last thing you want is people bonding over their complaints and griping around the water cooler. Gossip and negativity have corrosive effects on morale, and they lead to fractured teams, anxious employees, and a decline in productivity.

Employees who feel motivated every day are not only happy but loyal as well. Businesses that intend to grow and prosper depend on worker longevity. You don’t want people turning over after a year or two, only to have to recruit and retrain someone else who might do the same. Companies are built by people invested in bringing their missions to life.

Connecting workers with the greater “why” inspires them to dig in and help the team however they can. A Gallup report indicated that 71% of Millennials know what their organization stands for and what makes it different from its competitors,” and say they plan to be with their company for at least one year.

Motivate to engage

When people know why they’re doing something, they engage more deeply with their work. Even the most mundane task holds energy and purpose if you understand that you’re part of a greater whole. Engagement also inspires people to go the extra mile. They see how one initiative yielded success, and they crave that rush of pride and accomplishment again. Maybe next time, they brush up on their skills, volunteer to work extra hours, or enroll in a course to bring even more to the table on the next project.

No job is without its frustrations or its off days. Everyone feels disconnected from time to time, but that’s why it’s all the more important to define your business’s “why” and each employees’ role with it. Because when people know why their contributions are important, they can look past the hiccups and take pride in the knowledge that they’re part of something meaningful. 

There’s more to blockchain than Bitcoin, as we discussed in our article covering blockchain innovations that have nothing to do with cryptocurrencies. If you’re just getting up to speed on blockchain technology, start with our overview of how blockchain works and what makes it distinctive. We use a discussion of a low-tech paper ledger book as a starting place to examine what makes blockchain unique:

Blockchain’s potential can be seen in its anticipated impact on practically every industry, market, or business process. In financial services, to take one example, the transparency and distributed structure aspects of the technology can be used to create markets with no central authorities or transaction costs. Picture a peer-to-peer stock exchange that directly connects buyers and sellers and you’ll understand why regulators like the U.S. SEC are paying close attention to blockchain startups.

Let’s dive into 5 happening-right-now examples of blockchain disruption:

1.     Increasing financial inclusion in third-world countries

According to World Bank data, 2 billion adults around the world don’t have bank accounts. The so-called “unbanked” are at a severe financial disadvantage. Without a bank account, they struggle to secure and build credit, build savings, and access formal financial products, trapping them in a cycle of poverty. Those who support their families as foreign domestic workers often face high transaction fees when sending remittances back home, further straining their economic resources.

However, blockchain is helping to alleviate the burden of poverty and establish digital identities for the unbanked. Blockchain-powered remittance services offer significantly lower transaction costs and faster speeds, allowing workers to send more money to their families. As more and more companies accept bill payments via mobile apps, low-income users will be able to establish financial records and verify their identities via blockchain, creating a foundation from which they can access banking services and begin building true financial security.

2.     Reducing real estate costs

Blockchain-powered smart contracts could speed up the home buying process and reduce buyers’ expenses along the way. A trusted, transparent ownership record would help prospective buyers verify the legitimacy of property listings, and smart contracts could reduce the potential for errors and fraud. Because contracts executed on the blockchain must be authenticated across the network, buyers, sellers, and lenders can rest assured that every party’s financials and ownership records are above-board.

Blockchain-based smart contracts also make rent-to-own arrangements feasible, enabling renters to incrementally purchase equity in their homes while current owners continue to enjoy regular income from the property. The smart nature of smart contracts means that as renters gain ownership, the terms of their rental agreements will adjust accordingly, eliminating logistical headaches for everyone involved.

3.     Increasing safety in the sharing economy

Goldman Sachs estimates that blockchain solutions could drive $3 to $9 billion in increased revenue in peer-to-peer lodging alone, to say nothing of other aspects of the sharing economy. A report from the company notes that although services such as Airbnb provide interesting and more personal alternatives to hotels and traditional lodging services, some consumers resist the trend because they’re not sure they can trust the person whose home they’re renting.

Smart contracts could help both hosts and renters protect their assets, while blockchain systems can pull personal identification data to verify both parties’ backgrounds. By pulling in information such as consumer reviews and trustworthiness scores, these platforms can provide people with up-to-date information that assuages their fears and drives higher adoption of peer-to-peer services.

4.     Enabling smarter energy grids

The need for clean, sustainable energy sources has never been clearer. Neither has the need for a better way to manage energy data and usage. Currently, clean energy production is tracked via tradable certificates that are generated around the globe, but the management of these certificates is unwieldy, to say the least. Without a better method for tracking renewable production, investment in clean energy will lag far behind what it needs to be.

But blockchain could automate and streamline energy certificate management, along with other critical energy processes. By allowing smart meters to communicate directly with the blockchain, records can be generated automatically, reducing the opportunities for errors and data corruption along the way. Blockchain systems would also facilitate faster payments for energy producers and could theoretically allow for a peer-to-peer energy trading system that would drive more dynamic and efficient energy grids.

5.     Improving financial investments   

The investment management company Vanguard Group recently announced that it is using blockchain to deliver faster, timelier market index information to investors. The blockchain system automatically integrates new data and pushes it to investors and decisionmakers, which enables them to make faster, smarter calls with less chance for making mistakes. Vanguard also expects that the technology will allow it to create better financial advising programs, making blockchain even more relevant to individuals who rely on advisers to make critical money decisions.

For a more in-depth look at another blockchain disruption, check out Entefy’s article on how AI and blockchain are joining forces to boost cybersecurity defenses. 

8 Digital security threats in everyday life from Entefy

Threats to personal data privacy and cyber security are all too common. And sometimes they’re even hiding in plain sight. After all, every time you download an app or use a new device that is connected to the Internet, you may be exposing yourself to new privacy and security risks. As these slides illustrate, it’s no longer so crazy to ask, “Is that Roomba watching me?”

The original research in this presentation comes from the Entefy article, Hiding in plain sight: 8 Digital security threats in everyday life.

We often make decisions under a considerable amount of uncertainty—even if we fail to recognize it. We might say we know something for sure when we only have a strong hunch. We also accept that people will often be more confident of themselves and their beliefs than is perhaps warranted—in large part because the evidence shows that self-deceived individuals are really good at deceiving others. 

In this era of artificial intelligence, we have to ask similar questions. Do we want to design overconfidence into intelligent machines? Or is it better to create humble systems that are aware of their limitations? While the thought of your self-driving car piping up to point out that it’s not really sure how to handle the icy conditions is unsettling, a car that reacts incorrectly in a dangerous situation wouldn’t be much better. Uncertainty inspires caution, overconfidence is more likely to get you into trouble.

These are not abstract questions. Artificial intelligence developers are already exploring the value of designing doubt into their systems. The approach could make AI less error prone: “You might even say they are getting smarter, in part, by learning what they don’t know.”

When we consider the important and consequential areas of life where AI is being deployed, the value of a little bit of doubt becomes clear. We don’t want automated systems making important decisions without making use of all relevant data. Take the scenario in which your car is 95% sure the blue color it detects up ahead is the sky, but there’s a 5% chance it’s a wall. You want that system to make use of that uncertainty and take the cautious approach.

When it comes to living our lives, we don’t often quantify circumstances in such a precise way. Especially when there is so much value placed on confidence, or at least the outward expression of confidence. It’s worth spending a little time exploring the role doubt plays in our lives and careers. Think of it as the counterweight not to confidence, but overconfidence. Especially overconfidence that emerges from faulty logic or limited and biased information.

The limits to decisionmaking

There’s a paradox around confidence that was made clear in a 1999 study that appeared in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. The researchers, psychologists David Dunning and Justin Kruger, gave subjects tests covering humor, grammar, and logic, then asked participants to score how confident they were in their own performance. The lowest-performing test takers were also the most confident in their performance. And not just by a little: the group scored around 12% but estimated their performance more than 5 times higher, at 62%. The paradox was clear: those who knew little didn’t know enough to know they knew little. This illusion of confidence has since been dubbed the Dunning-Kruger effect.

One of the more memorable examples of Dunning-Kruger overconfidence comes from McArthur Wheeler. After learning that lemon juice could be used to make invisible ink, he decided that it could also make him invisible if he smeared it over his face. He did so, then proceeded to attempt to rob a bank while covered in lemon juice. He was not successful.  

When the economist Herbert A. Simon defined bounded rationality, he began by observing that we are each limited in our personal inventory of information, time, and cognitive capability. Since we cannot expect to make perfect decisions, we must satisfice, the combination of “satisfy” and “suffice.” To satisfice is to make do with what knowledge and time we have, while still making firm decisions without excessively splitting hairs.

Simon wrote that, ‘Whereas economic man maximises, selects the best alternative from among all those available to him, his cousin, administrative man, satisfices, looks for a course of action that is satisfactory or “good enough.’”

Think about how difficult it is to be the economic man in Simon’s description. Deciding which box of cereal to buy becomes an endlessly complex activity of comparing prices and quality and amount from among a growing number of options. What’s more, we haven’t had the chance to taste all the different varieties, and our knowledge of their chemistry and molecular composition is incomplete.

It’s the same everyday predicament we’re in when deciding which movie to see or what to cook for dinner. Bringing us back to the value of doubt: acknowledging and accepting a little uncertainty can speed up our decisions. It can be comforting to accept, “that will do” when the alternative is endlessly anguishing over deeper and deeper levels of detail.

What can we be sure of?

Like anything, doubt taken to the extreme leads to questions like whether we’re living in a computer simulation or really any science-denying, anti-rational school of thought.

But we needn’t go to that extent for doubt to have value. We just need to acknowledge that our understanding of the world is often based on imperfect assumptions, and that it is in our best interest to use that realization to moderate our confidence. To know that it’s impossible to be 100% certain, without letting that stop us from making decisions.

Recognizing that most of our decisions are made under some uncertainty—whether we are aware of it or not—is important for aligning our expectations with reality. This is the power of doubt.

Entefy patent opens new doors to secure communication across groups using different protocols at the same time

PALO ALTO, Calif. March 7, 2018 — Entefy Inc. has been issued another patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Patent No. 9,843,543 describes an “Apparatus and method for multi-format and multi-protocol group messaging.” 

“In a world with so many different apps and services for group communication, I’m excited about Entefy’s latest invention that, for the first time, allows groups of users to securely communicate with each other without being bound to a specific app, protocol, or service,” said Entefy’s CEO, Alston Ghafourifar.

Today’s announcement follows the recent news that Entefy filed 15 new patents in the areas of search, AI, blockchain, communication, data privacy, and IoT, bringing its portfolio of filed and issued patents to 46. In February, the company announced the issuance of a patent for people-centric messaging. Also see the issuance of an Entefy patent for encrypted search and another patent covering context awareness in messages.

Entefy’s mission is to savepeople time so they can live and work better in today’s digital world. 

ABOUT ENTEFY

Entefy is building the first universal communicator—a smart platform that uses artificial intelligence to help you seamlessly interact with the people, services, and smart things in your life—all from a single application that runs beautifully on all your favorite devices. Our patented technology combines digital communication with advanced computer vision and natural language processing to create a lightning fast and secure digital experience for people everywhere. 

We all know the pain of being at a social event and spotting an acquaintance whose name escapes you as they make their way over to say hello. You wrack your brain trying to remember where you met, who introduced you, or any identifying detail that might offer a clue as to how you should greet them. Yet you can’t for the life of you remember their name.

It’s hardly the end of the world, and as we’ll see, we’re all prone it. In informal settings, you might endure a mildly awkward conversation before you both laugh it off. But if that memory lapse happens in a professional setting, the repercussions can be far more consequential. Either way, once you understand how the brain remembers names, you can adopt a few straightforward practices to help ensure you’re never speechless after “Nice to see you…”

Why we never forget a face   

Considering how socially valuable name recognition can be, it seems maladaptive to be so forgetful. Yet from an evolutionary perspective, it makes perfect sense. Biologically, humans are wired to remember faces because that’s how we identify members of our tribes. It’s more advantageous to recognize an ally’s face than to focus on details as trivial as his or her name.

Even in the modern world, our brains don’t rank people’s names as high as, say, household objects. Knowing the words for chairs, tables, food, and forms of transportation is universally useful. Names, on the other hand, are ultimately arbitrary, and they tell us little about the person with whom we’re speaking. Sure, it’s socially helpful to know what they like to be called. But our minds prioritize information such as distinguishing facial features, where they work, and even the conversations we have with them beyond their names.

You would think that being able to recall someone’s political views or their love of tennis would jog your memory when you run into them again. But often it doesn’t, because your brain links those details to your memories of the person—not their name. The human brain works by association, so remembering one detail of an interaction usually brings others to the surface as well. Names bear no connection to the other circumstances surrounding the memory, so that information can remain out of reach.

We can also blame our forgetfulness on the perils of modern life. Long-term stress, an affliction shared by Americans of all ages and backgrounds, may cause memory-eroding inflammation in the brain. Anxiety also contributes to memory problems, causing forgetfulness as well as side effects such as difficulty concentrating and poor sleep quality, which further impair people’s memories.  

Hacking the name game

Ok, so that’s why most of us are so bad with names. Now here’s what can be done about it. There are ways to boost your recall skills. It starts with relaxing. Because the habits that work here are of little help if you’re in a constant state of stress and anxiety. Daily meditation, journaling, rest, and even behavioral therapy can reduce anxiety and help you think – and remember – more clearly.

Once you’ve done that, here are some steps to try:

1. Make associations. Remember how we said human brains are associative? You’ll have an easier time recalling people’s names if you consciously connect certain details to their names. For instance, someone might casually mention her interest in wind surfing or obsession with 80s action movies. Linking those facts to the person’s name gives you an association on which to draw the next time you encounter them. You’ll even get bonus points for remembering their obscure preferences.
2. Be present. We’re all guilty of nodding our way through a conversation while we’re mentally checking to do lists or planning what we’re going to cook for dinner. The more distracted your mind, the less chance it has of remembering someone’s name. We are up against biology, after all. Instead, focus on the people with whom you’re speaking. Repeat their names after they introduce themselves and again when you say goodbye. Not only does this show that you’re paying attention, it also cements their name in your mind. Leave your phone in your pocket while chatting as well. Listen to what the other person is saying and ask questions you genuinely want the answers to. When you’re engaged and present, your brain is better able to process and save the details of the interaction. 
3. Create mnemonics. When all else has failed, create mnemonic devices to get the associative gears turning. A mnemonic device turns a person’s name into an acronym, with each letter representing a word or phrase linked to that person. So, a guy named Pat might Play old-school video games on an Atari every Tuesday night. Make the acronym as unique and specific as possible, because that makes it easier to recall the name quickly.

Forgetting people’s names is as common as it is embarrassing. Using these tips to improve your name recall skills will impress people and show that you’re genuinely interested in them. And that’s the beginning of a potentially long and mutually satisfying relationship.

For a long time, artificial intelligence was something spoken about in terms of the future. The impact it could make or will make someday. So it might be surprising to a casual observer just how much has changed in recent years. Because with AI today, “will” has become “is.”

In one recent survey of 260 global businesses, 80% of companies are already building or using AI systems. As they say, the future has arrived.

With AI taking an increasingly central role at businesses of all sizes, you may already be using AI in one form or another. If not, it’s only a matter of time until you are. Once you’re accustomed to using AI tools, you’ll likely find that your job is a lot more dynamic and fulfilling than it was before. One of the core benefits of AI is taking over low-level tasks such as scheduling and data entry, allowing people to focus on more creative and rewarding activities.

In the same way that professionals needed to come up to speed on software and desktop computers in the 1990’s, today we all need to start learning more about the key terms and concepts of AI. With that in mind, we put together this overview to get you started.

Artificial intelligence. Before we get into too many specifics, let’s start with something we’re all very familiar with: software. Software is a very broad term that encompasses many different categories. There’s productivity software like word processors and spreadsheets, which are similar to but distinctly different from database software or CAD/CAM software.

As with the term software, artificial intelligence is a catch-all that can refer to a diverse set of uses and techniques, with some of the big ones being neural networks, machine learning, and deep learning. We’ll dive into those in just a moment.

The common thread running through each of these technologies—and the trait that makes AI distinct from traditional software—is that AI systems can interpret, analyze, and learn from data in ways similar to human cognition. AI doesn’t function exactly like a human brain, but to the outside observer that’s what appears to be happening. Here’s a quick way to picture the difference. With traditional software, everything a user might do with an application needs to be programmed line by line to ensure the intended results. Advanced AI systems, in contrast, are built around algorithmic models with the power to generate results that aren’t necessarily known in advance. An AI system can produce surprises; traditional software generally doesn’t. It’s this flexibility that puts the “intelligence” in artificial intelligence.

With that in mind, let’s look at a few important AI techniques that illustrate various approaches to building advanced AI systems.

Machine learning. Broadly speaking, machine learning is a computer science field that gives machines the ability to analyze a set of data, draw conclusions about the data, and then make predictions when presented with new data—without being explicitly programmed to do so. Learning is the key term here. The more information a machine learning system receives, the more accurate its predictions become. Machine learning has been used to power computer vision, natural language, and data analysis applications, and it’s increasingly being explored as a tool to aid professionals in a wide range of industries.

Medical doctors, for instance, can use machine learning programs to more quickly and accurately diagnose diseases. The machine analyzes many thousands of images of both healthy and unhealthy organs, and learns to pinpoint disease indicators by contrasting the two categories.

Neural networks. The concept of neural networks dates back to 1944, with its popularity ebbing and flowing in the ensuing decades as theory and potential wrestled with the limitations of available computer hardware. Neural networks are so named because their structure is inspired by the neural connections of the human brain and their intelligence comes from the ability to analyze countless data inputs to discover context and meaning. Those inputs pass through a layer of algorithms that “learn” as more information is passed through. As a shorthand, you can think of neural networks as a specific technique for doing machine learning.

You may not realize it, but you encounter neural networks on a regular basis. Many image recognition programs, for instance, run on neural networks. Algorithms at different layers of the program interpret details of a photo such as pixel brightness, lines and shapes, textures, and distinctive features. Working in concert, the individual elements combine to identify people and objects in photos.

Deep learning. Anotherapproach within artificial intelligence that’s getting a lot of attention lately is deep learning. Deep learning is an advanced machine learning technique that uses multiple neural networks and massive amounts of computing power. Modern computers  are exponentially more powerful than those for previous decades, allowing for “deeper” layers of neural networks and therefore faster, more dynamic applications.

Deep learning systems are at the heart of emerging technologies as diverse as real-time translation and autonomous vehicles.

Artificial intelligence solutions in everyday life

Once you understand the basics of AI functions, you begin to see artificial intelligence everywhere. AI is reshaping the world around us, driving progress, helping businesses glean more valuable insights from their data, and ultimately empowering them to make smarter decisions.

Here are a few places where AI is already well at work:

Product recommendations

We’re all familiar with product recommendation features, whether you’re visiting an online retailer or a streaming video service. You browse or purchase one item, only to see a list of related products appear somewhere on the page. Perhaps you even begin seeing ads and receiving promotional emails showcasing similar items.

Some of those recommendation engines are powered by deep learning systems that parse data on users’ browsing and buying behavior to anticipate other products they might be interested in. One interesting application is the way Netflix offers dynamically generated movie thumbnail images to entice you to watch new films and TV series.

Don’t be surprised if you start having increasingly personalized content experiences as well. Marketers are embracing AI as a path to achieving better engagement with potential customers. Rather than pouring over analytics to determine which types of content should be served to which audience segments, AI-enabled smart content automatically adjusts messaging based on the audiences’ interaction history. AI-backed content can also self-adjust to become more easily discoverable, and smart chatbots can recommend content to website or app visitors based on existing data.

Biometric authentication

Imagine logging into your bank account not with a password or fingerprint but with an iris scan or vocal verification test. Given the value of financial data, it’s unsurprising that banks are investing heavily in biometric authentication systems.

AI tools like computer vision and natural language processing can significantly enhance security. It’s a lot harder to fake someone’s vocal pitch than it is to hack their password, and it’s harder still to mimic their eye’s unique patterns. Many such systems that use facial recognition to verify customers via selfies are already in use. They’ll only become more sophisticated and secure as AI systems are able to analyze people’s faces, voices, eyes, and even their behavioral patterns simultaneously to determine if people are who they say they are.

Cybersecurity

AI is shaping up to be a formidable tool for fighting cyberattacks, which represent a growing threat in areas such as healthcare, finance, and insurance. Hackers who steal people’s personal data can use it to access their financial accounts and commit insurance fraud, wreaking havoc in victims’ lives. AI systems learn to spot anomalies in databases and transactions, and they can run 24/7, so there’s no downtime when hackers can easily break in.

Given the enormous amount of data generated every day, human efforts must be augmented by AI to truly defend against cyber criminals. This is an increasingly relevant use of the technology, particularly as more and more companies store consumer data digitally and conduct financial transactions online.

Although artificial intelligence has existed as an idea for more than seven decades, we’re only beginning to see its power and potential. The tools built on technologies such as machine and deep learning will transform workplaces and even how we think about our careers and lives. With advanced AI on their side, the businesses of the future can be more productive, efficient, and secure. 

Heard of the old expression, “too much of a good thing?” Well, there’s deep wisdom in that saying when it comes to digital technology. These days we’re all trying to find balance in how we use, but not abuse, apps and devices in our day-to-day lives. Not an easy task.

It’s important to keep aware of all the evidence that’s emerging about the impact our digital habits are having on our health. Our team put together this list of potential health hazards associated with tech habits like hopping in and out of 7.9 different communication apps or falling into the “busy trap.”

The original research in this presentation comes from the Entefy article, Pimples, sluggish sperm, and drooping jowls: 11 tech habits that are bad for your health.

The modern workplace is alive with distraction. The open floor plan office so common today means that everyone in the office is susceptible to practically every beep and ping from computers and smartphones, every overly odiferous microwaved lunch, whispered conversations or boisterous storytelling, and on and on. It’s a wonder any work gets done when the distractions come fast and furious.

Many people are trying to find ways to deal with distractions and maintain personal productivity. What exactly happens when we’re distracted? How do you deal with distractions? Any quick fixes? The answers to these questions are rather surprising and point to the many ways we can remain focused and productive in even the most distraction-filled workplaces.

How do distractions impact the brain and memory?

Research shows that short-term memory is linked to the ability or inability to ignore distractions. When you’re hard at work, your brain is taking information into its short-term working memory, processing it, then outputting ideas, results, thoughts, and so on. Whatever it is you’re working on. Any stimulus outside of your zone of focus depletes your mental “bandwidth,” reducing the amount of working memory at your disposal. Like a computer trying to handle too many commands at the same time, everything slows down. And your productivity suffers.

How big a problem are workplace distractions?

A survey of 3,000 office workers and 2,000 managers identified the biggest workplace distractions. At the top of the employers’ list of employee time wasters were cell phones and texting, the Internet, and social media. No surprises there. But what is alarming is that 3 in 4 employers believe employees lose 2 to 5 hours per day to distractions. That’s up to 3 days of weekly productivity lost to distractions.

What do employees say they need to counter distraction?

One insightful way to learn about workplace distraction is to examine so-called high-performance employees (HPEs), professionals who are unusually productive as they work on high-value problems. An anonymous online survey of high-performance employees found that, “58% of HPEs need more private spaces for problem solving, and 54% of HPEs find their office environment ‘too distracting.’” It was estimated that HPEs take 25 minutes to regain their focus after a distraction; suggesting that just 4 distractions per day add up to nearly 2 hours in lost productivity.

Do workplace distractions affect our experience of work?

Researchers from the University of California, Irvine investigated the costs of interrupted work. They initially set out to determine whether the context of an interruption had a meaningful impact on a person’s productivity. Picture someone is working on a creative project and is interrupted with a question: Is there a productivity difference if the question is about the creative project versus about something completely unrelated? What they found was surprising—and telling. First, after an interruption people completed tasks faster because they compensate for the distraction by speeding up. All without any loss of quality. The surprise finding was how extensive the emotional cost was. Distracted people experienced more stress and frustration than their focused peers.

What can be done to minimize the impact of distraction?

Harvard researchers outlined advice for what to do when you’re feeling distracted at work. Some of those action items include:

·       Understand the negative impact of multitasking

·       Don’t let feelings like anxiety get the upper hand

·       Actively gather your focus and attention

·       Understand what distracts you and establish boundaries

·       Interact with supportive colleagues

Ultimately, combating workplace distraction is a very individual effort. But by understanding how the brain and body respond to distraction, we can make great strides towards retaining focus in even the most distracting environments. And don’t be afraid to throw on headphones and play your favorite productivity-boosting music.

Remember how much you loved school field trips? Group outings changed your usual routine, gave you a chance to connect with friends, and put you in new and interesting environments. You probably even learned a thing or two along the way.

With more and more companies focusing on supporting employee happiness and fulfillment as a business strategy, there is a growing body of research that points to the most effective techniques to bring smiles to employees’ faces—and in doing so, boost their creativity and productivity along the way.

We’ve assembled 5 proven techniques for encouraging workplace happiness, covering work culture, the use of technology like email, and even good old-fashioned team field trips.

1. Reasonable work hours

Employees work long hours for a number of reasons. They may feel they need to burn the midnight oil to impress their supervisors, their colleagues may respond to emails in under 60 seconds no matter the time of day, and they may fear that any lag in responsiveness will reflect poorly on their dedication. But long hours can also backfire for workers and employers.

The workers who pull 80-hour weeks don’t necessarily perform better than the ones who knock out their assignments in 40 and still make it home in time for dinner and a workout. In fact, employees who forego a good night’s sleep in favor of finishing up one more assignment or sending one more email will likely underperform. Research shows that only 1 to 3% of people can sleep five or six hours a night and not suffer a measurable performance drop-off.

Sleep deprivation increases stress levels and decreases a person’s attentiveness and ability to concentrate. Not only does a chronic lack of adequate sleep increase the likelihood of getting into an accident or suffering a serious disease, it also correlates with depression. Yet millions of people go without quality sleep every day. “[M]illions of us are living a less than optimal life and performing at a less than optimal level, impaired by an amount of sleep debt that we’re not even aware we carry,” said Dr. William Dement, a sleep researcher.

When employees routinely work through dinner on non-urgent tasks, insist that they head home for the night. If you find that people often stay late to meet project deadlines, have your management team work with them to create better project timelines. Perhaps more frequent check-ins and milestones will force them to work ahead and therefore avoid punishing work schedules.

While you don’t want to coddle employees, wellness prioritization is a new trend among businesses. Workers may assume that you’re merely paying lip service to work-life balance until you demonstrate that it’s a core value for your company. But make sure you’re walking the walk and keeping sane hours yourself.

2. Encouraging downtime

The French government made headlines in early 2017 thanks to a new ‘right to disconnect’ law that guarantees workers the right to log off when they’re not at work. The move stemmed from arguments by French labor unions against the “explosion of undeclared labor” in the form of employees constantly checking emails and working even when they’re technically off the clock.

Whether you choose to codify email-checking hours is up to you, but encouraging workers to spend time outside of their inboxes – and, ideally, off their smartphones – is a strong move toward enhanced happiness and well-being. When we’re constantly wired into work, our brains never get a chance to rest. Before long, we’re slower to react and struggle to come up with new ideas. We’re simply not built for the always-on lifestyle, and even though people who constantly reach for their phones may look productive, their output often tells a different story.

Stressed employees also cause substantial financial losses. A million employees call out due to stress every day, and 60% of all absences relate to stress in some way. So, keeping employees mentally refreshed is vital to your bottom line.

To avoid mental burnout, establish times when employees know they don’t have to be online and aren’t expected to respond to emails instantly. A typical 9-to-5 worker might benefit from email-free nights and weekends, while shift workers will need a more creative solution. You can support regular digital detoxes by instructing managers not to call or message workers during their off hours. Unless there’s an emergency, allow people downtime and encourage them to take advantage of it.

3. Healthy in-office environments

Not every company can afford to supply healthy catered meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But if you do provide meals or snacks, avoid food coma-inducing meals such as heavy pastas or sugary treats. Protein-rich salads, fruits, berries, nuts, and dark chocolate are not only healthier for your team, these nutrient-rich items will also spur their productivity instead of making them wish for a nap pod and a blanket.

Offering healthy food and drink options, including plenty of water and green tea, has far-reaching positive effects. In addition to driving immediate productivity boosts, it helps employees develop healthier habits long-term. If you provide nutritious alternatives to grabbing a candy bar from the vending machine or satisfying, healthy lunches that replace their fast food habits, they may make better food choices when they’re not in the office. And that benefits your business because healthy, happy employees are less likely to call out or take extended leaves of absence due to physical or mental ailments.

You can extend your culture to include physical wellness, too. A fitness challenge is a great way to create friendly competition or to get different departments working together to hit a particular goal. For instance, if lots of your employees wear fitness trackers, you can hold a contest to see which department hits the most steps in a month. A fun incentive like this will motivate people to hold walking meetings or go for a stroll during lunch, ideally creating a more active lifestyle in the process. 

If you want to encourage people to adopt wellness practices in other areas of their lives, you might partner with local fitness organizations to provide discounted gym memberships or classes. Depending on your office set-up, you could hire a yoga instructor to offer classes once a week or a few times a month to get people in the habit. Introducing meditation is also a powerful way to help people integrate calm and mindfulness into their days to decrease stress and boost happiness.

4. Standing up for health and productivity

This one is all about taking a stand: literally. Evidence of the potential risks of prolonged sitting suggests ways that companies can promote employee health with a few simple accommodations.

Prolonged sitting has been show to negatively impact metabolism, affect the onset of Type 2 Diabetes, and is correlated to various cancers. But it’s easy enough to counter. Researchers from UC Riverside suggest that standing “burns up to 50% more calories” than sitting, and “avoids the decrease of enzyme activity that can contribute to cardiovascular disease.”

To counter these effects, start with standing meetings. Just like the term suggests, this refers to holding meetings with participants standing rather than seated at a table. Not just a novelty, standing meetings have been proven to enhance creativity, productivity, and teamwork: standing meetings “reduced territoriality, led to more information sharing and to higher-quality [work].”

Next, look at your workplace environment. Offices and workstations can be made more standing friendly by offering employees the option for standing desks, which covert from seated to standing positons.

5. Get out of the office together

“Does team building work?” Spoiler alert: the answer is yes. Researchers reviewed data from more than 100 different team-building studies and determined that team building does indeed have measurable and positive effects on employee performance. But there are some guidelines to be aware of.

First, a big don’t. Don’t plan team building exercises that have the potential to make people feel awkward or that are personally invasive. As in, don’t ask people to share their greatest fears or worst mistakes. While the desire to get team members to connect on a personal level is laudable, these sorts of exercises tend to be ultimately counterproductive.

Instead, the most effective team-building activities are those in which the participants work together to achieve a goal, while remaining relaxed and informal. One psychologist recommended, “Take care to avoid putting employees in embarrassing or uncomfortable situations. Recognize that people have different preferences and respect employee boundaries regarding physical contact and the disclosure of personal information.”

The following activities have both mental and physical benefits without putting anyone in an uncomfortable position: volunteering, games and sports, field trips, professional development, and meals outside the office. When in doubt, simply ask team members whether a proposed outing sounds enjoyable.

People are continually yearning for increased happiness from their work, and it’s clear that optimism and satisfaction aren’t merely individual pursuits. They’re integral factors to a company’s success, creating an environment that supports wellness and productivity.