Professional/Short Course UWE Inspire Workshop Series: The Practice of Attention in a World of Distraction

This workshop is about how we attend, what we attend to, and the stories we tell about it. If you feel exhausted by the ever-increasing wealth of competing demands for your attention, you are not alone. At every turn our attention is subject to capture and most of the time, leaders and managers feel unable to freely give attention to the kinds of activities they consider most important. Already back in 1971, Herbert Simon identified the phenomenon now referred to as the 'Attention Economy' when he talked about the future as an information-rich world where the wealth of information literally consumes the attention of its recipients. Today, the 'Attention Economy' is beyond conjecture it now is the environment in which we must navigate both our personal and professional lives.

Developing a conscious practice of attention can offer us new ways of navigating competing demands and take charge of what we choose to attend to and spend our time on. With a practice of attention, we can cultivate more autonomy and individual agency, and we can become role models of good and effective practice for others in our organisations or contexts. This is an introductory workshop and together, we will start to explore how a conscious daily practice can help us reclaim our attention, freeing us from the self-limiting beliefs and unhelpful narratives that stand in the way of achieving our true goals. We will explore the notion of an attentional ethics and how to develop a culture of attentional consent.

Who is it for?

The workshop is designed for leaders, managers and others wanting to explore the impact of the Attention Economy and how to address the emerging issues. Methodologies and content are particularly designed to make good use of a diverse group, so we welcome people in a range of different roles

What will I get out of it?

• Understanding the impact of the Attention Economy in our lives and identify issues in our contexts that we want to use as case studies
• Explore what a practice of attention can do to help us reclaim attentional autonomy and individual agency as we go about our daily lives at work and at home
• Gain a set of practical tools that can be used by leaders, managers and all others involved in an organisation or context

Entry requirements

There are no formal entry requirements for this course.