Here is a wonderful example of how a manager can drive the battle on Information Overload in person.

A manager of a large tech company told me that he is personally very intent on making his company “quiet” in the direct sense of doing away with the endless ringing and loud conversations that the ubiquitous use of cellphones has brought into the open office spaces in his plant. This is of course wise, because the constant distraction by the phones of one’s coworkers is known to be a major disruptive factor in creative thinking, productivity and quality of work.

So what does he do about it? Many things, but the one I enjoyed most is this: every batch of new hires in the company goes through “New Hire Training”’, and the general manager gives the opening welcome lecture there. And at the beginning of the lecture, as the very first thing the excited new recruits hear, and from the most senior manager in the company at that, he pulls out a cellphone and asks the audience who has one. Of course they all raise their hands. He then tells them that if they expect a personally urgent message from their family or some such, they may keep the phone on and react to it when it rings by leaving the room quietly to respond. All others he asks to turn the things off – and he shows them that his own instrument is switched off as well.

Wayda go!