Overworked and Overwhelmed

This week’s blog title is the same as a seminar I presented this past week to a group of female leaders in our local chamber of commerce. The topic must have resonated as every seat was filled for the breakfast meeting. Probably every leader has felt like they are being asked to do too much with too few resources. Our current economic downturn will only exacerbate the situation. So what does one do when the pressures and expectations of work and family combine to threaten our sanity?

It helps to understand how our brains work. Much of our day is spent being distracted by the hundreds of “rabbit trails” our brain is so skillful at finding. Some of you can’t remember the line you just read because your brain popped a memory or new thought into your head without any warning. Our brain is also wired to use its more primitive parts in response to external stimuli instead of choosing a rational, logical approach. We also find ourselves chained to old ideas and ways of doing things because of deeply held patterns of thinking. If our brain is creating these obstacles imagine how complicated it gets when we add to the confusion by trying to do too much?

In the past ten years of so multitasking has been touted as a potential solution to the pressures we face. If we can skillfully manage to accomplish multiple tasks at the same time our stress will be reduced and productivity will increase. Or so we thought. In reality our brain simply can’t be trained or tricked into doing more than one thing at a time. Instead we force our brain to simply switch quickly from one task to another resulting in a net decrease in our capacity to focus and accurately do our work. When our brain is in this hyperkinetic state we are also more susceptible to health issues, including short-term memory loss.

The real secret to addressing the topics in my title is found in a simple piece of advice. Leaders need to change how we think about their situation. If we believe we have no control, then we will do little to try and gain control. But if we think we can control our lives, then we will do more to try to control our lives, and ultimately we will actually control more as well. Most of us know what we have to do to slow down and be more effective; we simply choose not to do it. It requires an enormous amount of self-discipline to do what needs to be done. Many of us lack the courage and persistence to see it through because the work is hard and we may be misunderstood.

Our lack of self-discipline affects how we lead. If our hectic pace and need for speed runs unabated then we will likely be unsympathetic to the employee who seeks a more balanced approach to life. If we must consider layoffs to reduce costs it should come as no surprise that we will expect those who remain to pick up the extra workload. These decisions fail to account for the most basic of human needs, the need for intimacy. When we treat people like robotic machines capable of doing more and more we will eventually crush their spirits and destroy their ability to master their craft.

When I hear leaders lamenting a lack of innovation I wonder if they have the patience for it. The world’s most brilliant people have always understood the value of focus and attention to one thing at a time. They are willing to sacrifice efficiency and speed for the joy of using their God-given talents to create masterpieces and breakthrough ideas. Being overworked and overwhelmed is a result of conscious choices. So the next time you are lamenting your full schedule or stressed lifestyle, look in a mirror and ask yourself, “Do I really want to change?” It really is up to you.