Session 15: Performance Inhibitors-Mind Squirrels
Distractions, or what we like to call Mind Squirrels, are a part of our everyday life.
Distractions can sometimes be a great thing, they can help us cope if we are feeling stressed and even help us to reset our emotions if we are very upset.
What are a few positive distractions that come to your mind?
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Family
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Friends
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Planning an Upcoming Vacation
All of these can be incredibly positive distractions, but they can also negatively affect our ability to be productive at work and our ability to be an effective leader.
How so?.... It all depends on context.
Thinking about a great trip you are planning can be a really positive distraction if you are starting to feel more down and hopeless. But it can be negative if you are providing guidance to a colleague regarding their performance and can't focus on the conversation.
Where distractions come up for us matters.
Now take some time and think of a few distractions that you have come up for you recently while you were at work or in a leadership role.
These distractions may range from really positive memories to negative thoughts (Mind Slants) that may make us feel significantly worse.
Distractions at work can cause a variety of problems including:
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Loss of productivity
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Not meeting project deadlines
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Lower quality of work
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Not fully listening to important information from colleagues
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Missing cues team members are providing that could aid in you being a better leader