538: Improve your focus in a distracting world- with Jones Loflin

How product leaders can stay as focused as a bee Watch on YouTube TLDR In today’s distraction-filled world, product managers and leaders struggle to maintain focus. In my recent podcast interview with Jones Loflin, author of Focused as a Bee, we explored how the honeybee’s remarkable focus and intentionality can teach us valuable productivity lessons. Jones shared six “permissions” that form a framework for improving focus, along with practical strategies for managing distractions and creating environments conducive to deep work. This article unpacks these concepts specifically for product leaders looking to enhance their productivity and effectiveness. Key Topics * Lessons from honeybees for product managers * The difference between being “busy” versus being “focused” * The six permissions to focus: Prioritize, Plan, Be Unavailable, Recharge, Change, and Be Consistent * Practical strategies for managing both internal and external distractions * Creating triggers and environments that support focused work * Applying focus techniques with limited schedule control * Using focus to drive product innovation and change management Introduction Have you ever reached the end of your workday and wondered, “What did I even accomplish today?” With endless emails, notifications, and distractions pulling us in every direction, staying focused feels harder than ever. But what if we could take a lesson from one of nature’s most efficient workers—the honeybee—to regain control of our attention and productivity?   That’s exactly what today’s guest, Jones Loflin, will share with us—practical tips and mindset hacks for improving our focus.   Jones is a successful speaker and the author of several books including his latest, Focused As A Bee, as well as Always Growing, Juggling Elephants, and Getting To It. He also worked as a senior trainer on the best-selling book, Who Moved My Cheese? Jones has 30 years of experience, growing confident leadership, implementing change and improving productivity with simple, no-fluff solutions. Focused as a Bee The statistics are sobering: 79% of professionals find it impossible to focus for more than an hour, with 59% unable to maintain focus for even 30 minutes. Our thoughts typically shift to something else after just three minutes. Most of us have heard the phrase “busy as a bee,” but Jones challenged this common expression. Being busy implies activity but not necessarily accomplishment. Through his experience as a beekeeper, Jones observed that bees are actually “focused as a bee” — intentionally directing their time and energy toward what’s most important at every moment. This distinction is critical for product leaders. In our world of constant demands and shifting priorities, we can easily fall into the trap of being perpetually busy without achieving meaningful outcomes. The honeybee, however, demonstrates an unwavering commitment to what matters most for the colony’s survival and success. Jones’s journey into beekeeping began when he and his daughter received a hive as a gift. Their first colony died after a year because they weren’t good beekeepers yet. This experience taught them an important lesson: Bees have a mind of their own and remain laser-focused on what they want to accomplish....