In business and in life, distractions are all around you. They interfere with your ability to remain focused, present, and engaged – preventing you from communicating effectively. Effective communication lies at the heart of successful negotiation. It requires attentiveness, emotional intelligence, and active listening to facilitate the creative and collaborative problem-solving required for successful, win-win negotiation. To become an effective communicator, you must learn not only to articulate your own interests clearly, but also to listen to your counterpart and understand their interests. As you learn to remove distractions, you will become better able to communicate effectively and establish authentic, value-driven connections with your counterpart. In your home life, distractions can lessen your focus on your commitments, remove you from your relationships with friends and family, and impede your personal growth. At work, distractions can limit your performance in key tasks, and diminish your connections with business partners, clients, and employees. Let's take a look at some of the types of distractions that can affect you and your business, and what you can do to reduce their effect. Distractions can be both internal and external. Internal distractions are the thoughts that run through your mind, perhaps during a meeting or presentation at work. For example, reflecting on an earlier conversation with your spouse or a colleague, thinking through your to-do list, or worrying about how you will look or sound when it is your turn to present. Internal distractions are particularly prevalent when you are listening. You should ensure that you maintain your attention on the speaker and focus on listening to understand – not simply listening to formulate a response, defend your position, or offer a solution. If your focus is on listening to understand, you will remain present in the moment and be able to more effectively problem-solve with your counterpart. To reduce internal distractions, you must learn to recognize when your train of thought is moving away from the current task and redirect it back to what is happening at present. Physical reminders, such as repositioning your feet firmly on the floor, might help to remind you to be present. Being present and mindful does not mean ignoring the thoughts that come to mind while you are engaged in a task, rather, it means acknowledging them and setting them aside to be addressed later. External distractions are the small triggers that steal your attention without a moment's notice. They are often such a part of your daily routine and you might not realize they are distractions. From phone calls and text messages, to email notifications and social media alerts – external distractions must be recognized, anticipated, and effectively mitigated. Recognizing which triggers easily divert your attention is important and will be different for everyone. For some, the very presence of their smartphone or computer can trigger a need to check for, or respond to, updates. For others, it may be background noise that reduces their ability to focus. Identify what the distraction triggers are for you and intentionally remove them from your environment as much as possible. Whether that means turning off and putting away your cell phone, designating a specific time for responding to emails, or taking your work to a quiet, more relaxing location, you must take initiative to control your environment and protect your attention, in order to be effective. With a heightened awareness of the potential distractions from your focus, you are better able to remove them and maintain presence in your work life. Distractions can change over time and as you make changes to your organization. Take time to complete a regular reflective self-assessment to identify the things that are distracting you, and to identify effective solutions.