Go Silent

Do you have an app that silences your phone for a set period of time? I do.

Whenever I record a podcast, and every recording is important, I put my phone into silent mode for the exact amount of time I need. No interruptions. No distractions. No temptation. The best part is that when the time expires, the phone automatically returns to normal.

It got me thinking. Why don’t we use the same discipline during the most important conversations of our day?

The morning huddle. An employee review. A leadership meeting. A peer group discussion. A customer conversation. Church. Dinner with family.

The moments that deserve our full attention are often the moments most vulnerable to interruption. Now, I understand there are exceptions. Sometimes a major issue is unfolding, and you need to be reachable to make an important decision. But let’s be honest, that isn’t happening all day, every day.

There should be periods of “no-phone disturbance time” built into our schedules.

As I write this, my phone just beeped. Immediately, my attention shifted. Should I keep writing? Should I check the notification? I looked. Spam email. Nothing important. Yet it still interrupted my train of thought. My bad.

How many meaningful conversations suffer the same fate? You’ve probably experienced it. You’re having a great discussion with a family member, colleague, employee, friend, or team member when someone’s phone goes off. Almost automatically, we say:

“Go ahead, get that. It could be important.” Sometimes the conversation survives. Sometimes it doesn’t.

The momentum disappears. The connection fades. The point gets lost. And occasionally, you have to start all over again. Technology is a wonderful servant but a terrible master.

The people sitting across from us deserve more than divided attention. They deserve our presence.

There are plenty of apps available to help. I use Peace Time. It’s simple, effective, and allows me to create quick silent sessions or schedule recurring periods of uninterrupted focus.

The real issue isn’t the app. It’s the decision. The decision to be fully present. The decision to protect important moments. The decision to tell the person in front of you, without saying a word, “Right now, you are more important than my phone.” Attention is one of the greatest gifts we can give another person. When we silence our phones, we amplify our ability to give it. 

Try going silent. You may be surprised by how much more you hear.