High-performers aren’t the people who respond to every message in three seconds; they’re the ones who know how to protect deep work time. Managing how you process digital information builds your self-regulation and leadership skills. As you move up, your time will become even more limited and your focus more valuable.
Don’t let pings and alerts dictate your day. Instead, set clear boundaries around when and what information gets in. Use “Do Not Disturb” modes during high-focus tasks. Saying, “I’m diving into this project for the next hour but will check messages right after,” shows that you respect your own productivity and the quality of your work.
Beyond managing interruptions, be a leader in how your team communicates. If you notice a chat thread is getting too long or confusing, be the person who suggests a quick five-minute call or moving the notes into a structured document. By managing how you use shared digital spaces, you help the team stay focused and reduce the noise that leads to burnout. Efficiency is about using your digital tools to make things simpler for everyone, not more cluttered.
Put these approaches into practice.
Let’s look at practical ways to regulate your professional presence by setting boundaries around your attention and proactively managing the noise in shared spaces.
"I used to keep my Slack notifications on loud because I wanted everyone to know I was working. But I realized I was just a fast messenger who produced shallow work. I started turning on 'Do Not Disturb' for 90-minute blocks. When my manager saw the depth of my next project, she didn't care that I took an hour to reply to her ping—she cared that the work was flawless."
DON’T equate three-second response times with high performance or professional value.
DO prioritize the quality of your output by setting clear boundaries around when information is allowed to interrupt you.
"I felt guilty about not being available, so I started posting a status: 'Diving into the Q3 Report—back at 2:00 PM.' Not only did the pings stop, but my colleagues started doing the same thing. I accidentally led a team-wide shift toward more focused work hours just by being vocal about my own needs."
DON’T let pings and alerts dictate the flow of your day, resulting in a fragmented focus and increased stress.
DO communicate your focus blocks to your team, showing that you respect your productivity and the quality of the final result.
"I watched a Slack thread grow to 50 messages over a simple formatting choice. Everyone was frustrated. I jumped in and said, 'Let’s hop on a 5-minute huddle to settle this.' We solved it in three minutes. My manager later told me that my ability to recognize digital friction and pivot to a better medium was a key leadership trait."
DON’T allow a chat thread to become long, circular, or confusing while the team’s mental energy drains away.
DO be the leader who suggests a quick five-minute call or a structured document to resolve the "noise."
"I used to @channel the whole team for every minor update. I realized I was contributing to the burnout I was feeling. I started moving my non-urgent notes into a shared Google Doc and only tagging people when action was required. The team became much calmer, and our 'urgent' pings actually started feeling urgent again."
DON’T use shared digital spaces (like group chats or channels) to dump disorganized thoughts or irrelevant updates.
DO actively manage how you use digital tools to make things simpler and less cluttered for the entire team.
"I watched our CEO during a week-long project. He didn't check his phone once during our strategy sessions. He told me, 'If I can't regulate my own attention, I have no business trying to regulate the company’s strategy.' That was the moment I realized that self-regulation is the highest form of leadership."
DON’T assume that as you move up, you’ll have more time; understand that your focus will only become more valuable and fought over.
DO build the discipline to filter out noise now, establishing a professional work ethic that values deep thinking over digital clutter.
What’s your favorite way to signal to your team that you are “heads down” on a project?
Integrate these professional strategies into your workflow—whether you’re refining your own work or mentoring your team or clients.