Relationship Before Task.
Hi There,
Last week I shared my very own chicken-and-egg conundrum. You see, my inner critic, Eve, is loudest first thing in the morning. And research has found that cortisol is highest in the morning, too. The riddle: Which inspires the other?
I had become aware of Eve’s regular daybreak presence while reflecting on my work performance from the previous day. I was feeling frustration because I hadn’t spent my time as intended. I hosted three meetings that day and hadn’t accomplished the objectives of a single one!
Don’t get me wrong; I may have founded DRIVEN Pros, but I don’t fit the classic description of the “DRIVEN” personality on the DISC assessment. I have, however, been emotionally ambivalent regarding the concept of productivity. This is ironic given the Intentional Productivity course I created. But I DO enjoy momentum, and I DO crave a sense of success!
My frustration reminded me of a challenge I used to battle when I lived in NYC.
I would schedule my days so I could walk to my appointments. Whenever possible, I’d use Park Avenue because of a “game” that my father Stanley taught me decades earlier. By finding a certain cadence to my stride, as I approached each cross street, the traffic light would be in my favor. I’ve walked for MILES through Manhattan fluidly with this rhythm, and it felt triumphant!
And then there were the off days when I simply couldn’t sync my stride. I ultimately chose to appreciate each pedestrian pause, which allowed me to notice my surroundings.
Regarding last week, after catching Eve, I decided to reframe the situation and appreciate that the meetings were not a total waste of time. They illustrated instances of what we, as C-IQ practitioners, promote when working with teams: “Relationship before task”.
Each meeting was derailed by real life getting in the way— the first due to a sick child, the second because of a horrible, real-time tragedy in our colleague’s life. The third meeting was all out canceled, the casualty of a last-minute client conflict.
So, while not as traditionally productive as I’d like, the day did provide a humbling lesson in recognizing what we cannot control and accepting it. I also appreciate the power of holding space for my colleagues. In the long run, empathy and compassion are productivity tools in their own rite.
How about you? Have there been times when you wanted to gain momentum, fluidity and rhythm, but got stopped? How can you reframe these instances where you have no control to derive value from perceived wasted time?
Cheers!
-Deborah
Deborah Goldstein
DRIVEN Professionals / Forbes / Linkedin
info@drivenpros.com | LinkedIn
DRIVEN Professionals, 35 Adrienne Lane, Garrison, NY 10524