This is my ultimate weakness. It's a pet peeve for most of my friends. I have such a difficult time focusing in on people speaking to me for more than 20 minutes.
The best remedy I have learned is honesty. Just telling people about my lack of focus helps others understand and adapt. Honesty also helps you address uncomfortable conversations or get to more important matters much more quickly.
I had a boss who got so wrapped up in software he was developing you could barely wake him out of his trance. If you concentrate too much on a task you become oblivious to the world and become like the absent-minded professor. There is something to be said for situational awareness.
But multi-tasking is ruining my life because I’m not accomplishing the things I want to do.
This is a hard thing to reconcile. As the boss, you are responsible for getting other people into the 'trance' of productivity.
My mantra: The task for the leader of a team project is to work on the team, not the project.
I've actually found it hard to follow that rule while in complete start-up mode, as there aren't enough hands to match the work. The goal, though, is to sacrifice early to generate enough money you can hire the hands you need.
The best remedy I have learned is honesty. Just telling people about my lack of focus helps others understand and adapt. Honesty also helps you address uncomfortable conversations or get to more important matters much more quickly.