Phone away in conversation
Put the phone out of sight when someone starts talking to you
Not face down on the desk, out of sight. Sinek groups it with saying good morning in the hallway as one of the small repeated signals that decide whether people at work feel seen, and passes on a line from his friend Bob Chapman, who heard it from his priest: consistency is more powerful than intensity. His comparison is a parent listening to a child describe their day, which nobody would do while checking a screen. It takes no time and no money. The difficulty is doing it every time rather than once.
People on record
Sorted by strength of stance
Does it: documented as part of their own routine. Recommends: explicitly advises other people to do it. Discusses: covered it substantively without clear personal adoption; this can include criticism or disagreement.
- Simon SinekRecommends
Author · Start with WHY
When somebody walks into your office, put the phone out of sight, not face down. He files it with saying good morning in the hallway: small things that add up more than the big ones.
Source: The Optimism Company: Want Better Teams? Put Your Phone Down First
Aimed at the same thing
Other entries filed under focus or stress.
- HabitFREE, no cost
Daily meditation
10-20 minutes of formal practice, most days
On record from 21 of 62 tracked people: 17 do it, 1 recommends it, 3 have discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost
Deliberate solitude
Regular time with your own thoughts and no other inputs
On record from 12 of 62 tracked people: 9 do it, 3 recommend it - HabitFREE, no cost
Daily prayer
A fixed time for prayer each morning, before the phone and before the day starts
On record from 4 of 62 tracked people: 4 do it - HabitFREE, no cost
Personal mantra
A quote kept where you will see it before you perform, taped up or written on your gear
On record from 4 of 62 tracked people: 4 do it - HabitFREE, no cost
Quitting social media
Deleting the accounts rather than trying to use them less
On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it, 1 has discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost
Chess
Short games used as a mental reset between blocks of demanding work
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it
Habit entry · notes paraphrased from cited sources, quoted excerpts copied from the transcript they link to. Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed. How this works.