Not every interruption is a distraction. A real incident or blocked colleague may need immediate attention. The problem is when every request uses the same channel and expected response. Protecting concentration means agreeing what may interrupt and what can wait.

For two days, record the channel, whether immediate action was necessary, and what response would have been sufficient. Patterns often reveal duplicate alerts, unclear meetings, or requests without priority.

Define the result and duration of a block; close unrelated tabs and alerts; leave a route for genuine urgency; capture other requests; then review the agreed channel when the block ends. Marta writes: “Until 11:20 I am reviewing the incident message. Call me if information changes the impact; I will review everything else afterwards.”

Agree an urgent channel, the minimum information in a request, focus periods and coverage, and where decisions are documented. Rules must be reviewed against real work; a rule that prevents urgent help creates risk rather than focus.

Design one focus block: result, duration, urgency channel, availability message, and end review. Propose a team rule for requests that can wait and test it for a week.

You can now spot pressure, regulate, prioritise, plan, and protect a block of focus through personal preparation and shared coordination.

Focus is not disconnection from the team; it is intentional availability. Next, apply it to communication, listening, and disagreement.