Bombarded by the Senses

In our ever-more-electronically-connected world, we are incessantly bombarded with new information, status updates and breaking news.  All of these devices, which allow us to be more ‘connected’ with others, also have the not-so-desired effect of weakening our ability to focus our attention on ourselves, the tasks at hand, the people directly around us, or pretty much anything.  That’s the thesis of Daniel Goleman’s article in HBR this month entitled The Focused Leader (see the link below, which should take you to the article, after a short prompt to login to the UofR library webpage).

http://newman.richmond.edu:2436/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=92545708&site=ehost-live

As leaders, similar to what George mentions in True North, if we cannot take the time to focus our attention on understanding ourselves – our emotions, our core values, etc. – how can we expect to be able to lead others?  Goleman’s article references a study which shows that self-control is a “far greater predictor of financial success than IQ, social class or family circumstance.” From my perspective, that’s great news as we should be able to influence our levels of self-control through education and self-awareness, whereas the more traditional (and less accurate) predictors of success are mostly outside of our control.

I’m going to challenge myself this week (and I hope you do as well), to take 15 minutes each day, most likely on the ride into work, to disconnect from the mobile world, turn off the distractions of sound, and just focus on one thing.  Maybe it will be on where I want to be in five years, or how I can overcome my challenge at work, or how I can become a better father or husband.  I believe it will be time well-spent.

What gets you up in the morning?

Thinking back to our discussion last week on Purpose, from Pink’s Drive, I’m still reflecting on how I might find purpose in my current position.  If we have a relatively-transactional job for a company that is not explicitly purpose-driven (think a generic manufacturing firm), how might we find purpose in our work? We know that purpose can add significant energy to our lives and contribute to increased job performance and personal satisfaction, but what if we have trouble finding that purpose. 

The blogpost below helps me to think differently about my position.

http://theenergyproject.com/blog/what-gets-you-morning

What if my purpose might be derived about how I serve the people I work with, rather than the actual ‘work’ I do from 8:00 – 5:00?  More often than I care to admit, when I am at work, I am so focused on checking off my ever-growing To Do list and responding to the steady flood of emails landing in Gmail that I get frustrated even when coworkers come to stop by my desk just to chat about anything.  I think to myself, “Don’t you have any work to do or would you like some of mine?”  (Not the greatest impression I can make on you guys, but I’m peeling back the layers).

But instead, could I find greater purpose in treating these interactions as part of my core job function?  What if I amended my job responsibilities to include:  “Make a unmistakable difference in the lives of those with whom you spend the majority of your waking hours”?  I’d like to think that I can … and that I must … make this amendment.  I need to re-train my brain to savor these moments with my colleagues and take control over my endless need to accomplish as much as I can.  Quite frankly, (almost all) emails can wait.

“Why are you doing what you are doing?” … It’s a powerful question to ask yourself, randomly, at least 10 times a day.