Although there is much to be said for the above statement it is worthwhile to consider the nature of concentration. Concentration mostly means keeping other things out, attention means being open and attentive. Although this may sound paradoxical (which it actually is) the difference is important. Concentration implies conflict, the more you concentrate i.e. keep other things away the higher the risk of missing something out. Often things are seen when not looked for. Attention means the absence of conflict, awareness and open mindedness. It is about mindfulness: ... “Too often we function on automatic pilot, using outworn scripts that have worked for us in the past, never stopping to evaluate whether they are appropriate in the here and now. Following the advice of Harvard researcher, Ellen Langer, we must transform our usual state of mindless inattention into “mindfulness,” especially in new situations. Don't hesitate to fire a wake-up shot to your cortex; even when in familiar situations old habits continue to rule even though they have become obsolete or wrong. We need to be reminded not to live our lives on automatic pilot, but always to take a Zen moment to reflect on the meaning of the immediate situation, to think before acting. Never go mindlessly into situations where angels and sensible people fear to tread. For the best result add “critical thinking” to mindfulness in your resistance. Ask for evidence to support assertions; demand that ideologies be sufficiently elaborated to allow you to separate rhetoric from substance.” (P.Zimbardo, The Lucifer Effect)
For example, if you are trying to read something interesting, let's say this book(?), and the dishwasher is making a lot of noise, trying to concentrate will make you very much aware of the noise, i.e. your energy is diverted to not trying to hear the noise.
Attention might mean listening to the noise of the dishwasher until it has taken its place in your environment and it will no longer disturb you. It means being aware of what is and then deciding what you want to do. The energy is controlled and purposefully deployed. The same it is when listening to music, to hear better we turn the volume up, but where does it end?
When you are launching a new product, concentration on your own product will not suffice. Awareness of what is happening in the market place means that you learn about the pros and cons of your own product in relation to the competitor's.
You will then control your energy and be able to deal with the challenge. It is you who decides what to do and not the competitor who makes you just react. As was pointed out by Peters and Waterman in their book 'In search of excellence', excellent companies attend to their people’s needs, in fact they are the basic asset in knowledge management.
Narrow-mindedness means concentrating on what one can do without an eye for the environment i.e. efficiency. Open-mindedness means having attention for what is going on and what one can do i.e. effectiveness paired with efficiency.
The person making the wrong things in the best possible manner (i.e. efficiency) will not be as successful as the person making the right things not so well (i.e. effectiveness).Effectivity: doing the right things
efficiency: doing the right things well
flexibility: doing the right things tomorrow
creativity: doing the right things well tomorrow
For example: preparing well for exams but learning the wrong books; having all available maps for the holidays except from the country you're visiting; having the most advanced state of the art technology but no ideas, to mention just a few.
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