Session Description:  Many children, teenagers, and adults struggle to meaningfully pay attention to what they are doing.   Frequent interruptions derail the train of thought, sometimes so completely that getting back on track requires much more time than the original task.  In fact, we spend so much effort getting back to what we were doing that we sometimes forget exactly what we were doing before we were interrupted.  Worse still, if we aren’t regularly interrupted we wonder if we are missing something important!

Welcome to the Age of Attention Deficit: the state of existence where being diverted from the important to the trivial is routine and expected.  Work is more complex than ever, with fewer willing hands to “lend a hand” than ever before.  Yet, beeping, ringing, chiming, buzzing, and chirping electronic devices are so ubiquitous that it is hard to imagine when such was not the case. 

As project and program management professionals we have the burden of needing to pay attention when others are not.  And to help others pay attention when their expertise and effort is absolutely required.  We have on our shoulders the challenge of getting the work done on time, on budget (or under), and with minimal chaos, no matter how large the project.  We love process, and, face it, not everyone does.  Going through a list of project deliverables gives us great satisfaction, while others on the project team don’t always remember the answer to the simple question: “What exactly are we doing here?”

In this presentation we will explore the realities of attention deficit—from the point of view of getting work done, not from a medical perspective—and examine some recent research in this area.  We will talk through tactics to improve attention span and think about ways to structure work to avoid the worst of the attention deficit problem.  Along the way we will laugh a little about ourselves, the world we live in, and figure out how to take our work and ourselves seriously, but with a light-hearted and helpful demeanor.  

About the Speaker:  

Paul Artell Smith is an Adjunct Instructor at the Wisconsin School of Business, Center for Professional and Executive Development.  He teaches in the Center’s Transitions Curricula.  In addition, Artell is Principal and Managing Director of WatchWorks Management Consulting, an HR consultancy specializing in leader/manager development and curriculum design.  Finally, Artell is Chairman and CEO of CUPSAFE LLC, a manufacturer and distributor of casual dining accessories.  

Artell has nearly 30 years of experience in all facets of human resources management and has worked for four industry leaders during his career, including ExxonMobil (Houston & Dallas), Fidelity Investments (Salt Lake City, Cincinnati & Boston), Hewitt Associates (Lincolnshire), and Aon Corporation (Chicago).  

At his retirement in December 2014, Artell was Aon’s HR Senior Vice-President for Strategy, Technology & Operations, reporting to Aon’s CHRO.  In this position Artell was accountable for global generalist services, employee relations, workforce administration, payroll, leaves & absences, global mobility and HR technology. He managed a global team of 200 HR colleagues in Aon’s primary locations of the US, Canada, UK, India and Poland. 

Artell earned his Master of Public Administration degree from Brigham Young University's Graduate School of Management. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science also from BYU.  Artell is married to the former Susan Burns.  

Artell and Susan have two sons, Preston (23) and Troy (22).  Preston recently graduated from Carthage College in Kenosha, WI with a double major in Theatre and Musical Theatre.  Troy is a senior at University of Wisconsin—Whitewater where he is an Army Officer candidate in the ROTC.  Troy also serves in the Wisconsin National Guard.  Artell and Susan live in Kenosha, Wisconsin.  

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