A few weeks ago, I got a call from a very successful advisor. “Do you have any ideas for someone who could teach etiquette to our younger advisors?” he asked. “They are technically competent,” he added, “but a little rough cut in professionalism and office manners. I’d like to hire someone to polish them up a bit.” I was impressed. He had clearly been mentoring, monitoring and thinking about how he could provide useful material and experiences to make them better planners and better professionals.

Similarly, I spoke with another advisor a few weeks later who had been eyeing one of her staff members for a managerial position. “She’s got great instincts,” the advisor said, “but I think she needs some formal training to help her make that leap to managing others. Is there some training program that would be appropriate? What do you suggest?”

When is the last time you spent real, uninterrupted time thinking about ways to improve your staff or practice? I set aside Fridays as my “reflection day.” I didn’t set appointments, but I was wired. I did take calls, read my e-mail, followed the news, the markets, whatever else was out there to give me input. Then I finally got it. My “reflection day” should have been time available to think, not flexible time to be filled in by whatever others deemed important.

My 12-year-old grandniece once asked me what people did before we had mobile phones. While it’s pretty hard for me to remember that, I do know that the phone does not have a constitutional right to be answered. E-mail is supposed to be a tool, not an obligation. It can take hours to triage and plow through the e-mail I get. I once read an article called “E-mail Etiquette” that insisted we must respond to e-mail within 24 hours.

But why should our office tool and other people’s “emergencies” dictate our time? We allow ourselves to be digitally distracted by phone calls, e-mail, electronic information and constant input. What results is our lack of ability to control our time, thoughts and efforts. It distracts us from thinking about important issues and situations that not only need our time and attention but can actually improve our lives, our profits and our clients’ well-being.

What follows are a few critical thinking principles that may help you design your own process for thinking through your important issues. These principles are based on the efforts of Dr. Linda Elder and Dr. Richard Paul of the Foundation for Critical Thinking (www.criticalthinking.org). Before you begin, turn off your digital distractions (yes, even that new Apple Watch) and enjoy immersing yourself in the “eternal now.”

Identify and clarify issues. Be sure you understand what you are trying to accomplish and what you need to solve. Think of one point at a time, elaborate on it and try to connect other ideas or thoughts that you have to it.

Example: “I think we need to change our compensation structure. One of our advisors has been offered another position, and I believe that we may not be competitive in our compensation structure.”

Stick to the point. Don’t be distracted by side issues or incidental circumstances. Stay focused.

Example: “Perhaps I should investigate our current health insurance as well.” (This is not focused. This can be handled separately later.)