{"id":249657,"date":"2023-01-17T10:38:42","date_gmt":"2023-01-17T09:38:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coaching-your-change.com\/?p=249657"},"modified":"2023-01-31T19:59:30","modified_gmt":"2023-01-31T18:59:30","slug":"hochstleistung-vs-flexibilitaet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coaching-your-change.com\/en_gb\/hochstleistung-vs-flexibilitaet\/","title":{"rendered":"Work and change in an area of tension between high performance and flexibility"},"content":{"rendered":"

Vielleicht kennt ihr das auch: Ihr seid gerade mitten im Projekt, leistet engagiert euren Beitrag und pl\u00f6tzlich l\u00e4uft etwas aus dem Ruder. Ein Konflikt hat sich angebahnt, spitzt sich zu und der Ton wird rau. Es muss \u201eschnell\u201c noch eine zus\u00e4tzliche Ana\u00adlyse her oder eine Funktionalit\u00e4t nachgebessert werden, doch die Zeit wird knapp. Hoch konzentriert seid ihr um eine L\u00f6\u00ads\u00adung bem\u00fcht, macht ein paar Extrastunden. Und meist bekommt ihr es wieder hin – allein oder im Team – alle ziehen an einem Strang! Bis morgen das n\u00e4chste \u201ebrennende“ Thema um die Ecke kommt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Die „Hochleistungsfalle“<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The access to new ideas<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1. Self-diagnosis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I am tense and trying to concentrate.<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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I hurry, walk faster, my answers to others are rather terse.<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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I have a headache, possibly heartburn, my neck is tense.<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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I am irritable.<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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I have had more coffee (and\/or cigarettes) today than I normally do at this time.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

(this list is only a suggestion for reflection and does not claim to be complete \ud83d\ude09) <\/em>\ud83d\ude09)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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2. Active relaxation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In my experience, the following activities are particularly suitable:<\/p>\n\n\n\n