It turned out that her computer was set up in a way that made it possible for her to see when a new email came in while she was talking to an employee, and it would distract her (in the same way it's almost impossible not to be distracted if there's a TV in your line of sight while talking to someone else).
When she changed her setup so that she couldn't see her computer when talking to employees, she solved the problem.
* do you have the things you need frequently within reach?
* do you turn off your 'email pings' when you work?
* is your to-do list within view?
* do you have at least one plant nearby? (It's been shown they help air quality and attitude.)
* do you have at least one image that stimulates your imagination? (You'll need to change these regularly because once you get used to it, it becomes invisible.)
What else do you do--or can you do--to make your working space work better for you?
(Optimizing your working space is just one way to focus your energy and efforts for maximum effect. You'll find many more in my book, "focus: use the power of targeted thinking to get more done." The expanded second edition is available now from Amazon and other online and offline retailers. And if you've already used the book to become more productive and focused, please put a review on your favorite online site--thanks!)