Attentiveness - Skill and Ability Video

Attentiveness is the ability to focus closely on the task at hand, regardless of the surrounding distractions. It's an important ability in jobs where a missed detail can be costly, leading to mistakes and time consuming fixes or even to irreparable damage. Attentiveness helps the referee keep his eye on the ball so he can make the most accurate decisions. It allows workers on the manufacturing floor to tune out the noise around them and follow instructions and procedures precisely. Attentiveness is a quality that keeps a worker alert and observant no matter how routine and repetitive the tasks. Airport screeners may process thousands of passengers and pieces of luggage a day, yet they can't let their attention wander even for a moment. The safety of travelers and crew members depends on the screeners constant vigilance. After a crime is committed, workers at every level of the investigation need to be painstakingly thorough, whether finding evidence or analyzing it, overlooking a clue could mean an unsolved case. In many professions lapses in concentration can have serious consequences. Pharmacists must take care to make sure the prescription they feel is exactly what the doctor ordered, to avoid dispensing medicine that could be ineffective or even harmful to a patient. Nurses monitoring a patient's condition look for subtle changes that might require modifying a treatment plan. In the lab, technicians re measure and double check calculations, repeat tests, and review results for pinpoint accuracy. An entire research project could be jeopardized by a single oversight. The ability to divide one's attention, to mentally multitask, is a handy skill when you need to coordinate several elements simultaneously. An aerobics instructor needs to remember the routine she's prepared so she can lead the class, verbally queuing it through one pattern, while thinking ahead to the next moves, and watching her students for correct form. A musician has to concentrate on playing his own part correctly, while following the conductor's gestures and at the same time listening to his instrumental section to properly blend the sound. Attentiveness is a human quality that computers and robots have yet to replace.