Vielleicht kennt ihr das auch: Ihr seid gerade mitten im Projekt, leistet engagiert euren Beitrag und plötzlich läuft etwas aus dem Ruder. Ein Konflikt hat sich angebahnt, spitzt sich zu und der Ton wird rau. Es muss „schnell“ noch eine zusätzliche Analyse her oder eine Funktionalität nachgebessert werden, doch die Zeit wird knapp. Hoch konzentriert seid ihr um eine Lösung bemüht, macht ein paar Extrastunden. Und meist bekommt ihr es wieder hin – allein oder im Team – alle ziehen an einem Strang! Bis morgen das nächste „brennende“ Thema um die Ecke kommt.
Die „Hochleistungsfalle“
In fact, studies have shown that as individuals we spend about 2 - 2.5 hours of our work day on work dramas, things that stress us out. This can be problematic. It can just as easily be an important presentation we are preparing for or a discussion in which our points are not being heard. All these situations trigger the stress hormone cortisol in our body - our focus hormone! It focuses all our attention on the issue that is so important to us and blocks out everything else in the mean time. We use our mental torch to perfectly illuminate this one topic, while the peripheral areas disappear into darkness.
All traffic lights regarding brain cells with problem-solving skills or relevant content are switched to green. All side roads are temporarily closed.
Perfect - for peak performance in the moment and professional "survival". Very bad, however, for our flexibility, creativity and ability to learn, and specifically for the possibility of accessing completely new opportunities. Many areas of our brain cannot participate in new ideas for a solution. Under stress, we actually like to fall back on what has already helped us in a similar situation. Then we also know immediately how to approach it in detail. Great! Our brain has stored this as one of our success patterns, ready for this very moment! This way, we can solve repetitive or similar challenges more quickly.
But be careful: old patterns only take us to where we have already been. They are not suitable for tackling new, unknown challenges. More of the same does not help here.
The access to new ideas
No time for experiments? Digitalised work tools, interdisciplinary networking and professional complexity make the solution process demanding. And at the same time, a completely new solution space opens up. In this space, we need both our professional competence and our experience, as well as access to our creative potential! And we need the willingness to engage with new solutions, even though a lot depends on it for us.
But how do we do that? How do we recognise whether we're currently stuck in the "high performance trap" or have access to our full potential? Are we aware for which of our tasks we need which state? What methods help us to consciously shift from one state to the other?
Let's take a look at this one by one.
If we're not aware that we are working in a very focused way at the moment and thus can only be flexible and innovative to a limited extent we're stuck in the "high performance trap". So let's be more conscious about our practised work mode.
1. Self-diagnosis
We need an honest self-diagnosis of our current stress level! As soon as you tick one of these boxes, you are stressed, have already had your cortisol release and are therefore in focus mode. You no longer have all your creative abilities at your disposal.
(this list is only a suggestion for reflection and does not claim to be complete 😉) 😉)
2. Active relaxation
Fact is: Innovative ideas and new approaches can only be achieved in a relaxed state - without cortisol release. Humans need about 20 minutes to move from a state of arousal to relaxation. So we need a 20-minute time window and an activity that releases the tension in order to regain full access to our resources.
In my experience, the following activities are particularly suitable:
- A walk in the fresh air, preferably a little brisker - movement releases what is being held in.
- Change of environment & stimulation of the senses: Change your location and become particularly aware of what is happening around you. Pay attention to all the little things, colours, shapes, sounds, people and their stories. Let yourself be inspired!
- Activate positive energies, for example with a fragrant cup of tea or cocoa, some good music, someone who makes you laugh. What is good for you?
Not suitable, on the other hand, are more coffee, a cigarette break or a video game on your mobile phone, because these things indirectly pay into the stressors and cost us even more energy. Here we want to consciously and lastingly reduce stress.
3. Your own strategy
Imagine you are in a cool, creatively curious state right now. What has brought you here? What did you do directly before that this state has now come about? What is your best "20-minute anti-stress strategy"?
Just try one or the other in the coming days and observe what gets you back in touch with your creativity the quickest!
When we have successfully lowered our cortisol level after 20 minutes, we can continue with brainstorming on the important topics. You will see that you will think of new aspects and finally reach your goal faster and more relaxed.
You may also find that you need the stimulation in the opposite direction. Do you do many tasks only at the last moment? Do you wait until someone from outside increases the pressure? Then you're looking for the appropriate cortisol release that brings you into focused mode so that you can complete the tasks as efficiently and quickly as possible. But be careful: this works for standard tasks. This strategy is not suitable for new challenges and innovative solutions!
😉
4. Your strategy as a leader
If you have leadership responsibility, you can also trigger or control this process in your teams. Are you more the "stressor" who encourages focus or the "innovator" who promotes relaxation strategies and creative ways of working?
How do you do this and what tools do you use?
Feel free to share your experiences and suggestions in the comments below!
Conclusion: Stress prevents change
So, what does all this have to do with change?
Quite a lot! Because when the employees of an organisation are under a lot of stress, every "distraction" is bothersome, every workshop too much. The invitation to join in and co-create remains unheard. We encounter rejection.
It is incredibly difficult to bring about change from such a situation. Often, the only way left is a "facts-driven change", i.e. creating the change process through facts. I can already tell you at this point that that type of change is noisy, friction-intensive and expensive! And it takes a comparatively long time until acceptance and routines are newly established.
A good change process needs a minimum of openness for the new approach, a clear derivation of the need for change, a vision that is attractive to everyone and the possibility to get involved in the process. But you can find out more about this in one of my webinars or change trainings. Feel free to drop by and find out more 😉 .
If you want to read more on this topic, I can recommend the following resources:
A podcast recording with brain expert and keynote speaker Dr. Laura Wünsch.
Short descriptions and videos on the topic of performance and release by Dr. Volker Busch, doctor and head of a neuroscience research group at the University of Regensburg, author and speaker.
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