Dedicated Conversation Mode

Preamble:

Multitasking can be a big problem. We should all admit that at this point. Sure it is great to do a number of different little tasks at once when each only requires a bit of your attention. But some tasks require dedicated concentration. And we're becoming less and less able to do that. No where is this more dangerous for us right now than in conversation.

People deserve your attention in conversation. Sure at cocktail parties it is okay to drift in and out of multiple conversations partaking a little bit in all of them. But most of the time—in-depth conversations with friends, at work—people deserve what might be rightly called undivided attention.

Invention time:

Dedicated Conversation Mode either locks up your channels of communication or pushes out an indicator of business. Maybe it isn't exactly a busy signal on a phone. We're all happy to have an end to that. But it sends a messages to the person seeking you out that you are currently immersed. Maybe it is the red status indicator that you're currently busy.

The idea is tho that you enter into this mode when you engage in a conversation. Of course it is only an option, but it lets the person you're talking to know that you've dedicated some one on one time to them. It's your promise that you aren't reading other emails or checking the score on a football game. It is also your sign to the outside world that you need a little private time to have the conversation.

Cause the thing is, you do! It is going to take your time and attention. And you can only fully give that if you know you're free to. It's a personal bubble. And you know what? The conversation, both parties having entered it fully and in a dedicated manner, is likely to go faster and be more efficient.

But everyone needs to be on board. You, the other guy and the rest of the world. Thing is, we all expect everyone's channels to be open to us whenever we want right now. And that just isn't realistic. We need more gates. Maybe more friendly gates than the painful busy signal of old, but gates nonetheless.

As a life hack you could do this right now. Turn your indicator green. Get people used to you being responsive when it is green. And then flip it red only when you really are busy. The tool is there, but it could be easier. Everything else could be queued automatically. You could have a quick style auto-response that says "hold your damn horses just one bloody minute and I'll get to you when I can actually give you a reasonable amount of my attention."

Seriously dudes. I need this.