Next time you’re tempted to scroll through your inbox or Slack during a work meeting, Jamie Dimon has a simple message: don’t even think about it.
For Dimon, focus isn’t negotiable—so much so that he says the day he can’t give his full attention to his role, will be the day he knows it’s time to “move on.”
It’s not the first time Dimon has used his platform as one of the most widely respected business leaders to vent about how notifications and constant multitasking have diluted workplace discipline.
If the topic of discussion is a new product or service, he recommends writing a mock press release: “This exercise forces you to answer lots of questions people are likely to ask. When you write down what you’re going to say, it focuses the mind and helps you explain things better.”
And above all, he said, leave room for healthy disagreement—even if it makes people uncomfortable.
“Our biggest mistakes happen when people think something is kind of a problem, but they are afraid to raise it in the right room where it might be provocative,” Dimon wrote. “There’s nothing wrong with disagreement. Ever.”
It’s not just Dimon who is feeling frustrated—his views echo a growing sentiment across corporate America: As technology continues to blur workplace boundaries, many professionals are finding themselves needing to relearn the basics of workplace decorum.
Plus, the research echoes that 60% of employers require training for all employees, including baby boomer workers who had accumulated decades of in-office experience before the pandemic.
Ultimately, Dimon’s message is less about micromanaging meetings and more about mindset: in a world flooded with alerts, attention is becoming one of the most valuable currencies in business.
