Imagine asking a group of nurses to wear bright-coloured vests while they’re giving or prescribing medication.
In this video, I want to share one simple advice that can make a huge impact on the performance of your team.
A hospital was struggling with a high number of medication errors. Nurses were accidentally giving patients the wrong medication, and the consequences were serious—impacting both patient health and hospital costs. A research team looking into the issue proposed a surprisingly simple idea: what if the nurses wore brightly coloured vests when administering medication?
The purpose? To make it clear to others not to interrupt them.
Understandably, the nurses were hesitant at first. It felt unnatural and a bit awkward. But they gave it a go. And after just four months, the number of errors had dropped by half.
I work with many leaders and their teams, and the truth is, our modern workplaces are not built for focus. Open-plan offices, endless notifications, ringing phones, and a culture that often values availability over concentration—it all chips away at our ability to do meaningful work.
So, what can we do about it?
Here are two simple, practical steps I’ve seen work really well:
1. Discuss the importance of focus
Bring it up with your team. Most of us have become so used to constant interruptions that we don’t even realise how much it’s costing us—mentally and professionally. Talk about it. You can lead the conversation yourself or invite someone in (like me) to help facilitate it. Just having a shared awareness around the power of focus already makes a difference.
2. Agree on a clear signal
It doesn’t have to be a bright vest. One of my clients gave every team member a little desk flag. When someone needed deep focus time, they’d raise their flag. It was a simple, friendly way to say, “Unless the building is on fire, please don’t interrupt me.”
This kind of shared agreement boosts performance—and reduces stress. No more feeling like you have to be ‘on’ 24/7. No more constant fragmentation of thought.
Just permission to do good work, uninterrupted.
So, my question to you is: What have you done with your team to create space for focus? And how respectful are you of each other’s deep work time?
This is this week’s Work Smarter: Live Better tip.
Hope you have a lovely day!
A bientôt,
Cyril
