Do you have time to think?
Most of us operate on autopilot. We buzz from meeting to meeting while battling our maxed out inboxes, instant messages, text messages and to do lists. We scramble through each day just trying not to crash. We barely have time to catch our breath or eat a decent lunch, so how do we find time to THINK about the events of the day?
At a recent conference, keynote speaker Juliet Funt, addressed this chaos and challenged attendees to create more WhiteSpace! She explained that our reactive, frazzled, over-scheduled days rarely include time for thinking. She defined WhiteSpace as “dedicated time during which strategic thinking occurs, focus returns and creativity soars.”
Our project work in its pure form is not procedural–it’s strategic–we strategically maximize stakeholder value and this requires thinking, and time to process incoming information.
We need time to simply be with all that information and let the space bring out what is important, what is connected and related–creative ideas that otherwise would not come together. Without time to digest what we are hearing, learning, discovering and communicating, we can’t get a clear picture of next steps. We can’t maximize value, creativity and innovation for stakeholders.
Creativity, innovation, problem solving and passion flow from these critical moments of pause.
So, how do you build thinking time into your day? Here are a few suggestions:
•Say “no” more often. Do you need to attend that meeting? Is there a better or more efficient way to solve a problem that would free up thinking time? Can you delegate that task and offer someone else a chance to grow or try something new?
•Allow silence. Give people time to think and write down ideas at the beginning of a discussion or after asking a question.
•Facilitate space. Is your facilitation style giving people time to think or just react? Are you using facilitation methods that allow both introverts and extroverts time to reflect on their own thoughts or only the thoughts of others?
•Wait. Not everything needs to be addressed immediately. Do you need to respond to that text or email? Do you need to complete that task today? Would your end-product be better if you paused for a day and then went back to it with a fresh mind?
•Offer thinking time. During discussions, watch body language for signs of confusion or frustration. Your co-workers might need time to think. Don’t pressure them for answers, offer thinking time.
•Make it a priority. To be at our best, we need “uncommitted” time to reflect independently and as an group. Do you recognize and support this need?
Where/when do you think best? (It’s probably not during a meeting or at your desk.) Do your light bulb moments happen on a long run, in the shower, while you quietly enjoy your morning coffee, on your way home from work? If you’re not sure, experiment–find out what you need to make creativity happen!