Taming the Electronic Beasts: Working in the Information Age with Stone Age Brains
We have plunged into a mad rush of activity, aided by high-speed Internet, cell
phones, instant messaging, BlackBerries and email 24/7. We work longer hours,
with escalating demands.
Since the mid-1990s, people have increasingly complained of being chronically
inattentive, disorganized and overbooked. It could be that there is a kind of
environmentally-induced attention deficit disorder. For most people, it goes
away with rest and vacations.
ADD expert Dr. Edward M. Hallowell describes people has having “severe cases of
modern life”—a condition he dubs Attention Deficit Traits (ADT). It’s an
epidemic in many corporate cultures that promote a fast multitasking
environment.
“Organizations are sacrificing their most valuable asset—namely, the imagination
and creativity of the “brains” they employ—by allowing ADT to infect the
organization,” according to Dr. Hallowell, author of CrazyBusy (Ballantine
2006). “It’s not that hard to eradicate the problem once you identify it.” But
it may be difficult to convince people to abandon a habit that initially feels
satisfying: over activity.
Adrenaline Rush
For many people, working fast is fun. Using email, BlackBerries and other
devices provides constant stimulation. Some people enjoy the adrenaline surge:
it feels exciting. We fuel our brains with caffeine to experience a rush and
sharpen the edge.
But living life faster and coveting more data won’t increase your sense of
fulfillment. While these behaviors may temporarily charge your emotional battery
and get your energy flowing, they won’t deepen your connections to what really
matters.
We take on too much because we like the stimulation and attention that accompany
being wanted and needed by others. We create the overload we complain about and
crave it when faced with moments of stillness.
Losing Connections to What Matters Most
We expect our brains to keep track of more than they can handle, and then find
ourselves losing and forgetting things—impatient, anxious, worried and plagued
by short attention spans. We’re caught in a frenzy, frustrated and often
furious. We may be saving time, but losing what really matters most to us.
Modern work life, for all of its timesaving conveniences, is sapping our
creativity, humanity, joy and, occasionally, our sense of humor. It’s time to
stop and look at what’s happening.
The speed of our lives threatens to destroy our most important connections.
Unless we deliberately set aside time for what matters most, the quality of our
personal and professional lives will erode. When this happens, we find ourselves
less energetic, optimistic and enthusiastic than before—and we don’t even know
why. We may think we are just too busy or disorganized, or ascribe it to growing
older—or simply to life itself.
What Leaders Can Do
All too often, companies cause Attention Deficit Traits in their work groups by
demanding fast, rather than deep, thinking. Employees are encouraged to work on
multiple overlapping projects, resulting in second-rate thinking.
Even worse, companies reward those who say yes to overload and punish those who
choose to focus by saying no. They’re overly infatuated with fast-acting
individuals who multitask and work long hours, often to their personal—and the
company’s—detriment.
Firms that ignore ADT symptoms in their employees will suffer its ill effects:
People underachieve, create clutter, cut corners, make careless mistakes and
squander their brainpower. As demands continue to mount, a toxic, high-pressure
culture produces high illness and turnover rates.
Personal Solutions
Find time in each day to reconnect with your core purpose and values. Then find
time to devote to connecting with the people that matter to you. If you say
family is important, then make time to spend with them. And make that time
count.
Turn off email, cell phones, and electronic devices during relaxation, exercise,
and family times. Unless you are an emergency doctor, or the President, nothing
should be allowed to interfere with these important restoration times.
For most people, recreation, learning and family times should never be
interrupted except for special circumstances. Studies have shown that “down”
time is necessary to be really productive and creative.
You should be in control of how you allow electronic devices to be used. While
it may be more convenient to email a colleague or friend, human interaction has
been shown to engage the brain in a more satisfying way.
We may be living in a fast-paced, electronic information age, but we still have
stone age brains that depend and thrive on social contact. There is no
electronic device to replace the satisfaction that comes from human interaction.
Patsi Krakoff, Psy. D. writes articles for business and executive coaches and
consultants. She provides articles on leadership and executive development for
sale, and formatted into customized newsletters. Get Patsi’s Secrets of
Successful Ezines 7-Step Mini-Course at EzineSecretsMiniCourse.com EzineSecretsMiniCourse.com
