Growing up, you might have heard this quote a lot from your parents, mostly when they wanted you to be quiet and pay attention. Listening is an observation skill that we are taught early on and is very important in the workplace. However, most of us also have two eyes to see, two hands to feel, a nose to smell, and a mouth to taste. We use all five senses to observe the world around us.

But what exactly is observation? According to the Oxford online dictionary, "observation is the action or process of observing something or someone in order to gain information". Our observation skills inform us about objects, events, attitudes and phenomena using one or more senses. Additionally, being able to observe and gather information about the world is important because it's the basis of communicating well.

Improving your observation skills allows you to “listen” with more than just your ears and make better decisions. It also enhances your ability to interact with others and to respond in an appropriate manner. Both are keys to success at work and at home. In the workplace, a good employee not only listens well, but is also aware of what is happening around them.

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In the previous video, more than 50% of people watching the “The Invisible Gorilla” video for the first time, do not see the gorilla. If you've seen the video before, did you notice the other changes? Probably not. Only 17 percent of those who were familiar with the original video noticed the unexpected events in the new video [Simons, 2010]. What's happening?

Although the phenomenon has long been known, recent studies show that it is much more common than anyone realized, and that it is one of the major causes of accidents and human error. In 1992, Arien Mack and Irvin Rock, two researchers at MIT, coined the term inattentional blindness to describe this phenomenon. Inattentional blindness is the failure to notice a fully visible but unexpected object because attention was engaged on another task, event, or object. [Mack, 1998] It happens to all of us. Seeing may seem like a conscious process, but the truth is, most of it is largely unconscious. Our senses are bombarded with so much information, sights, sounds, smells, etc., that our minds cannot process it all.

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Yale University's Brian Scholl discusses how our brains deal with the information overload [National Geographic, 2013].

To cope with the sensory overload problem, we develop filters. Filtering helps the brain deal with all the stimuli and information that bombards it. Our changing culture, values, and beliefs shape our filters and influence how and what we notice, and how we react. Filters help focus our attention on a single task or part of the environment and ignore everything else. What we filter in or filter out depends on where we put our attention. Even though the brain can scan 30 to 40 pieces of information (e.g., sights, sounds, smells) per second, its limited resources mean that most of it is immediately forgotten. This prevents us from becoming overwhelmed.

Attention is something we have to learn. Through time and practice, we have taught our brain to recognize which signals are important and to prioritize them first so we can quickly redirect our attention to them. And, just as attention is learned, it can also be relearned. [Davidson, 2011]

Observation is what you perceive with your senses. Perception is taking what we observe and organize it to give it meaning. Our perception is determined by our past experiences, culture, values, and beliefs. Because each person assigns different value to each of these influences, the same object or event is perceived differently by different people. This is why multiple eye witnesses to the same crime often have very different descriptions of the same suspect or event. Although our eyes may see the same thing, we filter, focus, and perceive it differently.

Another limit to our perception is our human brain. Optical illusions point out these limits. Looking at an optical illusion, you may think that a straight line is curved or a still image to be moving. You don't always see what you think you do.

Despite the limits of our brains, people have a remarkable ability to focus, and that ability enables us to accomplish our goals. Even when we are focused, we may not see everything we are focused on. Our misconception about how well we can focus on a task makes us prone to distractions.

What is a distraction? According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, a distraction is "something that makes it difficult to think or pay attention". So a distraction could be anything! It could be thinking to hard about a personal problem, letting your mind wander, surfing the Web, chatting with a friend, or talking on your cell phone.

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Have you ever walked down the street and had someone on their cellphone bump into you? Researchers at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington, decided to study whether cellphones were such a distraction that people wouldn't notice weird events happening around them. [Grimthingcom, 2012].

How often are you distracted while working? It's a question that's almost laughable, right? Most of us are distracted more than five times an hour. We get emails and phone calls. We take breaks and browse the Internet. Co-workers stop by for a quick chat and friends send us amusing instant messages. Distractions happen every day, and they are costly. A 2007 report by Basex, a business research company, estimated that distractions cost U.S. businesses $588 billion per year [Spira, 2007].

A recent study found that an interruption as short as 2.8 seconds results in high error rates [Altman, 2013]. Then it can take 25 minutes, on average, to resume a task after being interrupted. After resuming the task, says Tom DeMarco, co-author of "Peopleware," a book on productivity, it can take an additional 15 minutes to regain the same intense focus you had before the interruption [DeMarco, 2013].

What are the biggest distractions? CareerBuilder's 2014 survey reveals that technology is the leading culprits. One in four workers admitted that, during a typical workday, they will spend at least one hour a day on personal calls, emails, or texts. Twenty-one percent estimate that they spend one hour or more searching the Internet for non-work-related information [Career Builder, 2014].

Managing your focus and knowing how to handle distractions are valuable skills that can be easily learned. These skills improve your focus and prevent costly and fatal mistakes.

What distracts you the most? Is it a co-worker making too much noise? People sending too many emails? Maybe stress from an upcoming deadline? The workplace is an environment of ceaseless distractions. Mobile phones, emails, coworkers, stress, and deadlines compete for our attention.

Interactions with Coworkers:

Has this ever happened to you? You set aside time to focus on a task, but then your co-worker comes over to chat. Someone else stops by to get your opinion on an issue. When you finally get back to your task, you realize you only have a few minutes before your next meeting.

In 2014, a human resources company study shows that 45% of people surveyed identified talkative co-workers as the biggest distraction at work. [Perkins, 2014] Social interaction with coworkers is important, but if you put down what you're working on every time a coworker comes by, you will hardly get much done. This can be a source of stress and frustration. Setting up the right expectations and communicating them properly will help you stay in control of your time, attention, and stress levels.

Pressure and Complacency:

The pressure to meet tight deadlines can be just as distracting as working on a dull familiar task. When people are pressured to meet production goals or project deadlines, the focus is often shifted away from safety and quality towards getting things done as fast as possible. On the other hand, when there isn't a deadline pressure people can be over-confident with a familiar task, and let their attention wander. Both pressure and complacency distract people from safety and important details which lead to costly and sometimes fatal mistakes.

Personal Distractions:

Ringing phones, incoming emails and texts, and chatty colleagues are all examples of external distractions. Managing these distractions are tricky, but managing personal distractions are tricker. Personal, or internal, distractions can be physical and psychological. Physical distractions include feeling hungry, tired, or having a sore back, while psychological distractions include stress about a personal problem, remembering errands, worrying about paying rent, or even excitement about an upcoming vacation. Managing internal distractions well require pre-planning and self-discipline.

Today's technologies connect us to unlimited resources and communication channels optimized to grab our attention. Emails, messaging, phone calls, and the Web, announced by a ping and a buzz are often just a pocket away. When used appropriately, these powerful tools keep us on track and can help resolve problems in the workplace. Most of the time, smartphones are used to fill in the small gaps of time when we believe a few seconds of shifted attention is no big deal.

Mobile phones and technology:

In 1973, Martin Cooper , a Motorola engineer, made the first call on a mobile phone. The Motorola DynaTAC 8000x weighed 2.5 pounds, measured 10 inches long, and only delivered 20 minutes of battery time. Four decades later, smartphones live in the pocket of nearly everyone in the United States. Our phones tell us the time, give us directions, take pictures, and keep us connected to family, friends, and work. Used appropriately, these devices can make our lives easier and more enjoyable, but they can be a huge distraction. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2011, 3,331 people were killed in crashes involving distracted drivers, and an estimated 387,000 were injured. [NHSTA, 2011]

Emails:

Emails are an effective and convenient channel of communication, but they are also a source of stress and distraction. Responding to emails immediately prevents having too many emails to address later, but it also means you are directing your attention away from your work and from the people you are talking to. Building the expectation that you will not immediately respond, can help alleviate stress and anxiety.

Messaging:

Instant messaging and texts are convenient ways for coworkers and friends to get in touch about issues that need to be addressed quickly. Being always available online means you leave yourself open to distractions.

The Web:

The Web is a powerful resource for answering questions, learning skills, looking up information, reading the news, and having fun. Web browsing has become a source of leisure both at work and at home. When looking something up for work, it is easy to get sidetracked by interconnected links.

Idea Log

Of these distractions, which one distracts you the most? What would be the best way for you to manage it?

In today’s global economy, manufacturers must be more responsive than ever to keep up with the fast changing demands of their customers. As companies look at producing smaller batches and lean manufacturing, many are moving to a 7-day schedule because an idle machine is considered a lost opportunity.

Continuous operation requires people to work shifts. Shift change disturbs the production flow and brings a new set of eyes to the machines. So information needs to be accurately exchanged between shifts to ensure safety and efficiency. Because communication is also prone to error, it is important everyone pays attention and is aware of potential problems and safety issues.

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Watch professionals in advanced manufacturing discuss how they communicate potential safety and technical problems in shift changes, morning meetings, and huddles.

Idea Log

Think about what you’ve learned so far about observation and paying attention. What are some of the most important lessons you have learned?

Being observant and paying attention at work is essential for safety. In 2013, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 476,700 cases of non-fatal injuries and 304 fatal injuries in the manufacturing sector. Manufacturing ranks in the top 5 industries for incidences of occupational injuries and illnesses [BLS, 2013] , [BLS, 2013].

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Workplace safety training videos can be hilarious, but getting hurt and being exposed to health hazards is no joke. With so much emphasis on legislation, regulation, and safety in the workplace, many employees still walk into an area and don’t know what to properly look and listen for. Practicing paying attention in the workplace makes us safer in several ways. First, following proper procedures and guidelines, or doing things "by the book," prevents accidents. Guidelines and regulations are developed from lessons learned after accidents and mishaps. Second, paying attention to detail enhances our situational awareness. Situational awareness is the attention to different elements in your environment, understanding their meaning, and recognizing potential dangers before they happen. It requires using your senses, being familiar with the machinery and with the people around you, to be able to see, hear, feel, or smell trouble brewing. Simply put, it's tuning into what's going on around you.

Situational awareness is more of a mindset than a hard skill. There are two important parts to situational awareness: being aware of what is going on around you and taking responsibility for your own safety and the safety of others. It may come easily to some, but for most people, it is something that we must constantly strive to improve. For example, looking both ways before crossing the street, requires observing, processing, and understanding the world around us allows us to consider our risks before taking action. In this case, when to cross the street.

What's wrong with this photo?

How many safety hazards can you find? Click on the image below to open the activity in a new window.

Idea Log

How many issues did you identify? What did you miss?

In the manufacturing industry, employee safety is very important. Mistakes, errors, and accidents on the shop floor are costly in both materials and time wasted, and decrease profits. So it is in a company's best interests to have employees who are mindful of mistakes and take a interest in what's going on around them. Safety hazards can be a fork lift driver going too fast, an office employee leaving a file drawer open, or someone running an extension cord across a foot path. Other situational hazards include a broken tail-light on a forklift or a fire extinguisher blocked by a pallet. Despite precautionary measures, many things can be missed. Training and engaging employees to look for risks helps them realize the importance of their role in maintaining a safe workplace environment.

Mindful, observant employees are a company's most valuable resources. Being observant to details keeps you and your coworkers safe, which, increases your productivity, increases your company's profitability, and makes you a valuable resource on the shop floor.

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In this video, industry professionals discuss how staying mindful of the larger goals and being observant to details keeps your coworkers safe, increases your company's profitability, and makes you a valuable resource on the shop floor.

Meet the Partners:

• Taconic High School in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, is a comprehensive, fully accredited high school with special programs in Health Technology, Manufacturing Technology, and Work-Based Learning.
• Berkshire Community College in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, prepares its students with applied manufacturing technical skills, providing hands-on experience at industrial laboratories and manufacturing facilities, and instructing them in current technologies.
• H.C. Starck in Newton, Massachusetts, specializes in processing and manufacturing technology metals, such as tungsten, niobium, and tantalum. In almost 100 years of experience, they hold over 900 patents, and continue to innovate and develop new products.
• Nypro Healthcare in Devens, Massachusetts, specializes in precision injection-molded healthcare products. They are committed to good manufacturing processes including lean manufacturing and process validation.

Observation is more than just noticing details to answer questions you already have. It also involves engaging with your environment, deliberately noticing details, and using logic and imagination to visualize possible outcomes.