As you wade through the stress of a turbulent and uncertain
world, do you find yourself demanding more from yourself and your employees?
This often happens when your brain is trapped in protection mode. According to
a blog post published by the Harvard Business Review , "...research has shown that the more executives
have to do, the less their company earns."
Add technology to the equation and stressed-out leaders and employees are
spending more time at home checking emails as well as working on and thinking
about work. According to a survey by Right
Management , one out of three employees in North America said they often get
emails they must reply to from their bosses during weekends. "It's
now taken for granted that everyone has to check their work email during the
weekend," says Douglas J. Matthews, Right Management’s president.
As a result, our "work brain" never stops whirring. These intrusions
cut out down time unless you go on a real vacation, something few Americans
take these days.
Has all this extra work paid off? No. In fact, the never-ending work cycle is
detrimental to productivity.
Leaders who chase every opportunity and feel their teams must excel at every
objective on their list are running resources too thin. Focus is then
scattered, killing any chance that the leader and the organization will stand
out as superior in one particular area which is critical to be a competitive
success.
The question is, "What is your mission as a Leader?"
Are you supposed to focus on getting many results
or getting an extraordinary result or two?
To get extraordinary results, you have to be aware of the impact your requests
have both on yourself and on your employees. As my colleague, executive coach Val Williams says,
"When leaders follow this 'more, better and faster' strategy they're often
surprised that instead of achieving confidence in their success, they feel ore burned
out and insecure. When you employ this strategy of 'do more, faster' over the
long-term, then you actually become more reactive, less strategic and frankly,
more replaceable."
If instead you focus on your highest priorities and inspire others to do their
best on the tasks that give them both good results and a feeling of pride, then
you are giving everyone a chance to apply their best selves to their jobs. This
includes making sure people have time to rest their bodies and brains so they
can create and produce top quality work.
The more complex a situation, the more
there is a chance to overload your cognitive resources. When you instead
sleep on it, or distract yourself with something mindless, you give your
unconscious a chance to sort through possible solutions which is more effective
than consciously trying to sift through pros and cons.
TIP #1: Taking a nap or letting
your mind wander gives your brain a chance to process complex decisions.
Set an alarm for 20 or 30 minutes. Close your eyes and breathe deeply. Even if
you don't fall asleep, this relaxation will ensure you rest. If you can’t sit
still, play a computer game or read a mindless magazine to keep from thinking
about work. This enables your brain mind to relax and open up, leading to both
higher concentration as well as productivity when you return your focus to your
work.
TIP #2: Lindsey Paho, writing
on behalf of Colorado Technical University also suggests you determine
your own sense of balance. What can you accomplish without feeling stressed and
overwhelmed? What tips you over the edge? When you are aware of your own
limits, you can design a schedule that keeps you sane.
TIP #3: Lindsey also suggests
getting over yourself and asking for help when you need it. As a leader, you
don’t have to be the superstar lone ranger. Modeling rationality for your
employees is better than demonstrating stressed-out self-reliance.
Do you want your organization to win? Re-evaluate
your mission. Are you pushing for expected results or are you creating the space
for extraordinary results? The latter requires you do
less with more focus.
In the end, you and your employees will have better ideas, make more sales,
complete more projects, better answer critical emails and collaborate in a way
that is needed for amazing results.
For more information on the best brain
states for creativity, check out www.outsmartyourbrain.com .
