Last week I had the opportunity to work with my son Jeffrey on his business. We went door to door meeting potential clients. Some people call that “cold calling”; I call it perseverance.

What surprised me wasn’t the rejection. It was what I did in between.

Between almost every stop, even when it was only a few minutes, I checked my phone. Not because I needed directions, Jeffrey was driving. Not because I was expecting urgent news. It was an automatic action.

Did I really think the world had changed in those few minutes? Or was I just looking for a quick dopamine hit? I suspect the latter. My brain has been quietly hijacked by my device, and I don’t think I’m alone.

Our phones are brilliant at filling every micro-gap in time. A pause between meetings. A moment of discomfort. Two quiet minutes before the next task. And each quick check trains our brains to expect stimulation on demand. Over time, focus weakens. Silence feels uncomfortable. Being fully present starts to feel like effort.

I see this showing up inside the organizations where I work.

• Phones on the table during meetings

• Chat boxes flashing nonstop

• Multitasking

• Decisions pushed later in the day when attention is already depleted

We’ve built days where distraction is the default and focus is the exception. A few small changes can make a big difference. Try one of these:

• Put phones out of reach, not just face down when collaborating.

• Designate device-free moments instead of assuming focus.

• Build in real breaks so people don’t self-soothe with screens.

• Notice your own phone habits, especially in moments of discomfort.

• Say it out loud: “Let’s be fully here for the next 30 minutes.”

None of this requires perfection. It requires awareness. When we stop letting our phones think for us, we don’t just work better. We feel better.

Let me know what tips work for you. I need them all!