One of the impacts that I consistently notice with my clients is that the pace at which we are working is having a very real impact on the quality of work that we are contributing.
When we are all running, we are contributing to each other’s chaos. Our expectations on responsiveness have become so high that it feels like there is no time to think, no time to ask questions or push back on requests, because we just need to “tick and flick”, get it done, move on to the next demand. We are missing the opportunities in every day to lead from a place of considered thoughtfulness, contextualised in the bigger picture of our work or organisation and grounded in the real needs of the humans we work with.
But in this culture where we expect each other to always be on and the demands just keep on rising, how can we create more space to deal with this busyness differently?
I encourage my clients to create a habit of Pause.
We’re not expecting our mid-level leaders to be able to tackle this massive cultural challenge themselves, or to stop, slow down and reject the busy in ways that risk their careers. But when we think about slowing down as creating moments of Pause in our days, it can feel more realistic to create the space we need to behave as a strategic, human leader more often.
What does a Habit of Pause look like?
This process of Pause need only take a few moments. But the habit of stepping back a little, practised daily, can transform our leadership capacity. Even as the demands continue to escalate, you will feel more in control, more intentional in your work and see the impact of your leadership align with your intention more often.
One of the impacts that I consistently notice with my clients is that the pace at which we are working is having a very real impact on the quality of work that we are contributing.
When we are all running, we are contributing to each other’s chaos. Our expectations on responsiveness have become so high that it feels like there is no time to think, no time to ask questions or push back on requests, because we just need to “tick and flick”, get it done, move on to the next demand. We are missing the opportunities in every day to lead from a place of considered thoughtfulness, contextualised in the bigger picture of our work or organisation and grounded in the real needs of the humans we work with.
But in this culture where we expect each other to always be on and the demands just keep on rising, how can we create more space to deal with this busyness differently?
I encourage my clients to create a habit of Pause.
We’re not expecting our mid-level leaders to be able to tackle this massive cultural challenge themselves, or to stop, slow down and reject the busy in ways that risk their careers. But when we think about slowing down as creating moments of Pause in our days, it can feel more realistic to create the space we need to behave as a strategic, human leader more often.
What does a Habit of Pause look like?
This process of Pause need only take a few moments. But the habit of stepping back a little, practised daily, can transform our leadership capacity. Even as the demands continue to escalate, you will feel more in control, more intentional in your work and see the impact of your leadership align with your intention more often.
