Category: General

Procrastination is a common struggle many people face, particularly in the context of modern, mentally demanding jobs. But what is the underlying cause, and how can individuals effectively address it?  

This term, defined as the act of delaying or postponing tasks, often manifests as a form of dread when faced with a task, leading to the creation of excuses to delay in favor of something seemingly more urgent. Contrary to popular belief, this behavior is not necessarily a fault of character or a lack of productivity. Instead, it can be understood as an issue of emotional regulation; which refers to the ability to manage and respond to one’s emotional experiences in a healthy and productive manner. When faced with tasks that evoke feelings of stress, anxiety, or overwhelm, individuals may struggle to manage these emotions effectively, resulting in procrastination as a coping mechanism.  

 Adam Grant, among others, has framed the Procrastination tendency as a problem of managing emotions rather than a deficiency in motivation or drive. This perspective is particularly relevant for knowledge workers who frequently encounter challenges in maintaining concentration and avoiding delays.  

 Procrastination and Stress  

 Like stress, postponing tasks can have both positive and negative aspects. A small amount of stress can be beneficial, providing focus and energy to tackle priorities. Similarly, delaying tasks can sometimes be strategic, allowing time to gather necessary information before making a decision. However, when this tendency extends beyond these limits, it becomes counterproductive.  

 Understanding the root causes of procrastination is crucial. These can include:  

  • Emotional Overload: When the emotional burden of a task is too high, it can lead to avoidance behaviors.  
  • Cognitive Overload: Complex organizational structures, such as matrix organizations with conflicting directives, can overwhelm individuals, leading to delays.  
  • Structural Issues: Sometimes, the practical set-up of tasks or the lack of clear guidance can contribute to delays. 

How Do Procrastination and Stress Impact Work Culture and Team Performance?  

The culture within an organization plays a significant role in addressing procrastination. A culture that prioritizes emotional regulation, stress management, and a player mindset fosters, in the long term, high-performing teams. This is crucial for leaders that wish to achieve their team’s full potential.  Such a culture encourages individuals to view tasks not as sources of stress but as opportunities for growth and learning. This shift is important for transforming procrastination from a habitual response into a manageable and even avoidable issue.  

 Practical Strategies to Combat Procrastination include:   

  • Physical Exercise: Engaging in regular aerobic exercise can boost energy levels and interest, making it easier to tackle tasks.  
  • Mindfulness and Meditation: These practices help improve focus and reduce emotional overload, providing a clearer mental state for approaching tasks.  
  • Reframing: A technique from behavioral therapy, reframing involves changing the perspective on a task. For instance, instead of aiming for perfection, individuals can focus on making progress and learning from the process. This shift can reduce the pressure and make it easier to start and continue tasks.  

 Perfectionism often contributes to procrastination, as individuals fear not achieving perfect results. By reframing tasks as opportunities to make progress rather than prove perfection, individuals can break free from unproductive thought patterns. This approach encourages a mindset of continuous improvement rather than one of stagnation due to fear of imperfection.  

To address these issues, it is essential for leaders to view the brain as a critical organizational asset. By understanding and prioritizing brain health, leaders can enhance productivity, innovation, and overall well-being within their teams. This leads to the crucial areas of focus for brain health:   

The Brain as an Asset  

As a leader of a team or company, focusing on brain health for your team can significantly enhance productivity, innovation, and overall well-being. When considering brain health as a priority, as we covered before, Physical Exercise, Reframing challenges and Stress Regulation are crucial for performance success.  

But before diving into these priorities, the most crucial step as a leader is to allocate your attention to what matters most. If brain health is the current priority, commit fully to this conversation and action plan. If an immediate business need takes precedence, focus on that, and revisit brain health when appropriate.   

 The ability to prioritize and allocate attention effectively is the foundation of strong leadership.  

Investing in brain health is not just an individual benefit; it is a strategic organizational asset. By prioritizing physical exercise, reframing challenges, and regulating stress, you can create a more resilient, innovative, and productive workforce.   

 Encourage your team to engage in regular physical exercise, adopt a growth mindset towards challenges, and practice stress management techniques. Your leadership in prioritizing brain health will pave the way for a thriving, high-performing organization.  

WATCH HIGHLIGHTS
SCHEDULE CALL

Finding Meaning in Challenging Times

In our recent webinar, Leading with Purpose , Teryluz Andreu and Michelle Hollingshead addressed the challenges of finding significance in work, particularly during tough times. While motivational quotes like “Follow your passion” are easy to share, real life often requires enduring stress, change, and the need to provide for one’s family. Michelle offered her insights on how individuals can find significance in their work, even when they can’t immediately pursue their dream jobs.

She reflected on her own journey, highlighting the importance of understanding why one is willing to take risks in pursuit of meaningful work. Defining work as contributing to society and emphasized the need to focus on what is important and how one can contribute through their job. From her research, she identified four ways to find significance in work, which align well with the key stages of adult development:

  • Work as Just a Job: For many, especially young professionals, their job might not feel inherently meaningful. Leaders can coach their employees to connect their jobs to what is most important for them in their current life stage, such as providing for their families or accessing desired experiences. This approach encourages employees to recognize and utilize their gifts and strengths in their work.
  • Work as a Stepping Stone: This perspective is highly motivating for high achievers. Leaders can support their employees’ career progression by helping them see their current role as a critical step in their development. Connecting their work to skill acquisition and future aspirations can provide significant motivation.
  • Work as Purposeful: For those who have the privilege to align their work with a deeper purpose, it involves being drawn to something greater. This stage is about finding work that resonates deeply with one’s values and aspirations.
  • Work as Progress: Some individuals are driven by the desire to solve complex and challenging societal issues. Recognizing and supporting these employees’ orientation towards making significant progress can help them find deep significance in their work.

Michelle emphasized that leaders listen with curiosity and understand that not everyone will be motivated by the same factors at any given moment. By considering these different perspectives, individuals can find significance in their work regardless of their current circumstances.

Finding Significance in Any Job

During the conversation, the speakers explored how managers can help employees find significance and meaning in their work through thoughtful reflection and coaching. It was mentioned the importance of asking insightful questions and creating a supportive environment.

One key question highlighted by Michelle was “How is your work connected to what is most important to you now?” This question encourages employees to reflect on the current relevance of their work to their personal values and goals. It’s crucial for managers to see themselves as coaches and engage in regular, meaningful exchanges with their team members. Citing Gallup research, she noted that 15 to 30 minutes of meaningful interaction each week can have a significant impact on an employee’s engagement level.

To foster these meaningful conversations about meaning, managers should focus on:

  • Consistency: Regularly engaging in reflective conversations helps build a habit of focusing on what matters most. This ongoing dialogue is essential in a dynamic and ever-changing work environment.
  • Psychological Safety: Creating a trusting and safe environment is crucial for employees to openly share their thoughts and feelings. Managers must invest in building strong, quality relationships to encourage openness and exploration.
  • Attention to Change: Acknowledging that employees are often overwhelmed by constant change, managers should help them navigate these shifts by maintaining a steady focus on what is important now.

By asking reflective questions and fostering a supportive atmosphere, managers can help employees find significance in their work, even amidst challenges and changes.

WATCH HIGHLIGHTS
SCHEDULE CALL

In the webinar Leading with Purpose, Teryluz Andreu and Michelle Hollingshead had a conversation about the multifaceted nature of meaning in life and work, as explained in Michelle´s book Meaning Indicator .  One of the key concepts of the book is a definition of meaning that is much broader than purpose. 

Michelle elaborated on the key dimensions of meaning, sharing insights from her research project, which included a comprehensive literature review of positive psychology and assessments conducted since the 1950s. She highlighted four key dimensions of meaning: comprehension, purpose, significance, and belonging.

  • Comprehension involves understanding one’s identity and the factors that have shaped it. This dimension parallels organizational identity, as organizations also need to continuously ask, “Who are we?” and “Who are we becoming?”
  • Purpose is about direction and goals, both individually and collectively. It’s crucial for individuals to connect their personal sense of purpose with the shared mission of their organization.
  • Significance, a concept Michelle found particularly intuitive and exciting, involves having a sense that we matter. Recent studies, and the impact of the pandemic, underscored the importance of understanding what truly matters in life and work.
  • Finally, belonging addresses the human need to be part of something greater while also seeking growth and expansion. This dimension involves balancing the tension between belonging and aspiring beyond current circumstances. Organizations need to create environments where individuals feel they are part of a larger purpose while also supporting their personal growth.

When individuals connect with these dimensions, it significantly impacts their motivation and the quality of their engagement in all areas of life.

Finding Deeper Meaning During Challenges​

In their discussion, Teryluz and Michelle delved into how leaders can help their teams find deeper meaning when facing external challenges. The importance of creating conditions that allow for the honest expression of feelings, which can lead to emotional mastery[Potential link a prox webinar] and curiosity include:

  • Acknowledging feelings: Leaders need to create a safe space for team members to express what is real and true for them. By addressing feelings openly, leaders can help their teams identify underlying needs and move through challenges more skillfully, avoiding unhealthy coping mechanisms.
  • Leaders’ self-development: Leaders must also focus on their own development. Effective leadership involves continuous personal growth and showing up authentically. Leaders need to invest in their development through community and connection, demonstrating emotional intelligence and resilience.
  • Ongoing conversations: There is no one-size-fits-all solution for finding meaning during tough times. Instead, it involves ongoing, quality conversations. Culture changes one conversation at a time and leaders should strive to be aware, clear, and present in their interactions, fostering an environment where deeper meaning can emerge.

By creating a supportive atmosphere for emotional expression, investing in their own growth, and maintaining continuous, meaningful conversations, leaders can help their teams find deeper meaning and build resilience during challenging times.

WATCH HIGHLIGHS
SCHEDULE CALL

In today’s fast paced environment, organizations often unknowingly compromise the cognitive potential and the well-being of their leadership and whole workforce due to inefficient setups. Here’s a look at how this happens and what leaders can do to address it: 

1. Adopting a Growth Mindset to Enhance Cognitive Engagement 

We must recognize that rapid change and uncertainty increase the likelihood of distractions, procrastination and chronic stress, especially in the case of virtual teams and interactions, the lack of human interaction can impact cognitive engagement and productivity. So, companies, teams and individuals who adopt a Growth Mindset, also related in the Brainhealth landscape to the “brain-as-an-asset” mindset, are more likely to take charge of their cognitive well-being and skillset, actively prioritizing tasks and better regulating distractions and stressors that can impair working memory, decision-making and overall productivity.   

2. Leadership Interventions  

Broad leadership Interventions are key in shaping cultures and practices that shape brain health in positive ways. For example, one effective strategy is to structure virtual meetings differently and ensure that they do not exceed 20-25 minutes. Clear agendas and frequent 5-minute breaks between meetings allow participants to recharge and stay focused.   

Besides these examples, leaders should also promote a shift towards conscious meeting participation, limiting them to essential participants and minimizing distractions during meetings by asking to turn off alarms and notifications on devices. 

3. Working Memory 

Let’s talk about Working Memory and how to protect it and deploy it well.  Working memory is the ability to hold multiple units of information simultaneously. These “units of information” can be thought of as pieces of data that the brain actively processes and can integrate “online” at any given time. For instance, remembering specific instructions, keeping track of deadlines, integrating relevant facts and feedback. Working memory is a crucial and limited cognitive resource essential for tackling any cognitive challenge. Organizations can help preserve this valuable resource by minimizing noise, distractions, and “detail overload.” By doing so, employees can focus on real priorities, conceive solutions, and execute them creatively and flexibly. 

 The average person can manage and integrate five to seven units of information at a time. However, distractions such as stress, concerns, and random thoughts can consume these units, reducing the capacity available for productive tasks. Imagine a person whose units of information are all occupied with stressors like an upcoming conversation with a boss or political events highlighted in the media. This preoccupation significantly diminishes their capacity to learn and solve tasks at hand, resulting in decreased performance and productivity, and even more stress and concerns. What could be a virtuous circle becomes a vicious one. 

 To protect working memory, it is important to avoid distractions by being aware of stressors and actively working to mitigate their impact during important tasks. Additionally, utilizing external systems such as calendars and notebooks can help free up working memory, allowing for more efficient information processing. 

4. Protecting and Optimizing Working Memory 

Stress and working memory are closely linked, and their interaction profoundly impacts decision-making, productivity, and resilience – for good or for bad. Some levels of stress, properly regulated, can be a positive factor, elevating alertness and motivation. Too much of it, once the person is not able to regulate it, harms wellbeing and performance. When dealing with rapidly changing, uncertain environments such as what we experience today in the nascent AI era it is important to master stress regulation with techniques such as:  

  •  Breathing, Visualizing, Reframing, Biofeedback: Implementing stress-regulation techniques to preserve working memory for essential tasks as the “mental athletes” we need to be. 
  • Efficient Memory Use: Encourage the use of external memory aids to protect cognitive resources.  
  • Reduce noise: To minimize chances of misallocating limited working memory to unproductive or even counterproductive endeavors. 

5. Mindfulness 

Incorporating mindfulness practices such as meditation can help build focus and reduce distractibility. A more radical approach could be to erase all recurring meetings from calendars, encouraging employees to mindfully prioritize necessary meetings.  

Alongside mindfulness, there is another core approach to Empower Minds and Optimize Cultures: Physical Exercise. We´ll dive deeper into these in our next article “Procrastination, Emotional Regulation & Reframing”.  

 Understanding and optimizing the use of working memory and brain health overall can lead to better decision-making and enhanced well-being and productivity. Organizations that prioritize these strategies can create a more resilient and effective workforce, and of course the opposite goes for those who don’t. 

 To harness and grow the potential of our teams, let’s prioritize brain health in our organizational strategy. Let’s restructure meetings, especially virtual ones, incorporate mindfulness practices, and educate our teams on the importance of managing working memory. These steps can not only enhance productivity in the short term but also foster a healthier and more engaged workforce in the longer term.  

Watch Webinar

In the world of care—be it in schools, hospitals, or nursing homes —real success goes beyond the basic duties we perform. It’s also about the well-being of the caregivers themselves. For you, leading such a distinguished institution, it’s crystal clear: You’re here to nurture a culture of dedication, excellence, and positivity among your staff. But let’s face it, the past few years have tossed us into uncharted waters. The post-pandemic era has left many feeling burned out, less driven, and disconnected.

The core of your institution beats with the passion and dedication of your team, who came aboard inspired by the noble goal of serving others, not just hitting business targets.

In our recent webinar, “Beyond Burnout: The Blueprint for Transformative Culture”, we explored how to kickstart change, enrich your culture, and boost the morale of your team, even when times are tough.

Here at Axialent, we stand by the conscious business approach. This model intersects caregiving with the deep levels of human connection and kindness. In a conscious business, the goal isn’t just about making money—it’s also about the well-being of everyone involved. This includes your employees, the people you serve, and the larger community. Caregivers, mostly driven by values of empathy and kindness, are dedicated to caring for others yet often feel neglected. Conscious Business practices teach caregivers to know themselves better and be resilient, which helps them deal with their complex roles in a sustainable way. By bringing these principles into their work, caregivers can create an environment that focuses on the complete well-being of those they look after, although not at the expense of their own.

“Easier said than done,” you might say. How do we strike the balance between the business side of things and taking care of our caregivers’ well-being? With the constant push to do more with less, we run the risk of thinking that doing ‘more’ is the same as doing ‘better.’ This dilemma points to an urgent need for solutions that get to the heart of burnout and lack of drive while also rekindling the inner fire and commitment within your team.

Our approach is tailored; we get that caregivers face unique challenges. We know that their well-being can’t be the object of quick fixes. It needs a whole-person approach that is rooted in a culture of empathy, support, and self-care within the organization. By truly embracing the idea of caring for caregivers, institutions can create an environment where staff feel valued, respected, and in control. This fosters a stronger sense of belonging and purpose among caregivers, reigniting their spirits and dedication.

Investing in the well-being of caregivers isn’t just good for them—it’s smart for the institution too. By looking after the mental, emotional, and physical health of caregivers, organizations build a foundation for lasting success. This isn’t merely about lessening burnout or upping productivity; it’s about cultivating a culture where caregivers don’t just get by—they thrive. This empowers the institution to live out its mission with true integrity.

In conclusion, taking care of our caregivers is essential, now more than ever. It’s not just about the numbers; it’s about creating a supportive community where everyone can do their best work. So let’s roll up our sleeves and get to it. Let’s build a culture that looks after those who look after us all.

Because when our caregivers succeed, so do we.

In our journey through the art of facilitating challenging meetings, we’ve explored the magic of creating the right environment and the importance of establishing connection and rules. Now, let’s delve into the heart of the matter: the facilitation dynamics that transform these meetings from ordinary to extraordinary.

Facilitation dynamics aren’t just about managing a discussion; they are the soul of the meeting. It starts with a clear definition of the issue, which should ideally be done as pre-work. This groundwork ensures that everyone comes to the table prepared, saving precious time for decision-making rather than information sharing.

Preparation Is Key:
The agenda of the meeting is like a symphony, where every element must harmonize with the next. It’s about combining connection, context, and content in a way that resonates with everyone involved. This requires a thorough understanding of instructional design methodologies and often, a collaborative Design Thinking approach.

Engaging Techniques:
In my toolbox, I have several techniques to ensure active participation and to push people gently out of their comfort zones while maintaining psychological safety.

These are the ones I use the most:

  1. 1-2-4-all: This technique starts with individual reflection, allowing each member to gather their thoughts independently. It progresses to pairs, where ideas are exchanged and developed, then to groups of four for further consolidation, and finally to the full group for a comprehensive debrief. This gradual build-up ensures a diversity of perspectives, and encourages quieter members to contribute.
  2. World Café: Ideal for larger groups, the World Café fosters collaborative dialogue and knowledge sharing. Participants move between groups, discussing various topics, then bring insights back to their original table. It’s like creating a web of shared understanding, enriching the collective intelligence.
  3. Pre-Mortem Exercises: In contrast to a post-mortem, a pre-mortem involves anticipating what could go wrong before it happens. Teams imagine a future where the project has failed and work backward to identify potential pitfalls and preventive measures. It’s a powerful way to avert problems before they occur.
  4. Role-Playing: This method brings scenarios to life, allowing participants to explore real-life situations in a controlled environment. It can unveil hidden dynamics, promote empathy, and offer insights into how different approaches may play out in reality. It fosters vulnerability based trust. It is also often done with fun.

 

The Importance of Time Boxing:
One crucial aspect I’ve learned over the years is the value of time boxing. Limiting the time spent on each discussion point ensures that we stay focused on what’s essential. It’s about quality, not quantity.

Post-Meeting Actions:
A successful meeting is only as good as its follow-up. It’s vital to consolidate the outcomes into actionable decisions and commitments. Each participant should leave with a clear understanding of their responsibilities and the next steps. This is where the transformation begins to take root.

Social Dynamics:
An often-overlooked aspect of facilitation is the social dynamic. Incorporating physical exercises related to the content or simply allowing for long breaks can significantly enhance creativity and foster deeper connections among team members.

Conclusion:
As we close this series on facilitating challenging meetings, it’s clear that the true “magic” of facilitation lies in authenticity, empathy, and a genuine love for people. From creating a safe space to navigating the complexities of group dynamics, every aspect of facilitation is about guiding teams to uncover their best solutions and paths forward. Whether it’s through mastering the art of connection, establishing ground rules, or engaging in dynamic facilitation techniques, the goal remains the same: to transform each meeting into a stepping stone towards greater understanding, collaboration, and success.

Thank you for joining me on this journey; may your meetings be ever fruitful and your paths forward clear.

Last time we talked about the magic of leading tough meetings, right? This time, let’s get our hands dirty with what really sets the stage for those breakthrough moments . If the first article was our map to the territory, consider this your compass—guiding you through the nuanced art of connection before diving into the context and content that define the journey of any high-stakes meeting.

In the realm of facilitating meetings that matter—the kind that shape futures and forge new paths—there lies a golden rule: Connection before Context, and Context before Content. It’s a principle that, in my 26 years of coaching, has proven to be the linchpin of success in meetings where stakes are as high as the mountains to climb.

The Golden Rule Unveiled

At the heart of every transformative meeting is the initial, often understated act of connection. Before I delve into the meat of the matter, we engage in a ritual: the Check-in. This is where each participant, in a moment less than a minute, shares a slice of their current state, their expectations, and their intentions for the gathering. It’s a seemingly minor act, yet it lays the groundwork for a shared understanding and a unified front. In meetings poised to reshape mindsets or redefine strategies, I take this a step further. I prompt participants to reflect on a personal level: “For me, this meeting will be a success if…?” The responses, as varied as they are insightful, allow us to not only align our goals but also to tailor the journey that our meeting will take. And as we wrap up, these very insights become the benchmark by which we measure our success at the check-out, providing a bookend to our narrative.

Embracing Mindfulness for Focus

In my toolkit lies an often-overlooked instrument that I’ve come to regard as my secret to unlocking true presence: mindfulness exercises. Whether it’s through a brief session of cardiac coherence breathing or a guided meditation, the power of shared silence is profound. Participants emerge not only relaxed and at peace but also more present and engaged. It’s in this unified state of focus that the true work can begin—where each voice finds its place, and the collective wisdom of the room is harnessed.

Crafting Ground Rules: Ownership and Accountability

Moving beyond the connection, we establish ground rules that go beyond the mere mechanics of meeting etiquette. These are the principles that anchor us to the Conscious Business mindsets—a shared agreement on how we will navigate the waters ahead. I introduce tools such as the Bulldog Meter, allowing each person to state their preference for the level of challenge they’re willing to embrace, fostering an environment where constructive confrontations and genuine dialogues are not just expected but encouraged.

Debating with Intention

As debates unfold, I encourage participants to:

  1. Clarify: Define key terms to ensure a shared language and understanding.
  2. Diverge: Embrace a variety of perspectives before converging on a decision.
  3. Commit: Ensure every decision made is one that all can support, having given everyone the floor to voice their views and concerns.

Conclusion

The dance of a difficult meeting is intricate, where each step counts, and the rhythm is set by the collective pulse of those present. As we lay down the ground rules and establish our connection, we create a space ripe for transformation. But the journey doesn’t end here. In our next piece, we’ll dive into the pulsing heart of these meetings—the dynamics that bring our carefully laid plans to life, where the alchemy of facilitation conjures outcomes that often surpass our wildest expectations.

Stay tuned as we continue to explore the nuances of facilitating meetings that are not just necessary but truly essential. The path is laid out; the compass is in your hands. Are you ready to lead the way?

Are you caught in the constant routine of a hectic work life, drowning in a sea of endless tasks? Are you back from vacation only to find yourself plunging back into complaints about overwhelming projects, unmet objectives, and unsparing stress impacting your mental and physical well-being? Does the thought of switching jobs frequently cross your mind?

If these situations seem all too familiar, you’re not alone. As a seasoned coach and consultant, I’ve encountered this scenario repeatedly.

However, what if I told you there’s a remedy within your reach? It starts with ditching the complaints and adopting a player’s mindset over a victim’s—embracing the philosophy of Essentialism.

Essentialism is more than just a productivity tool—it’s a philosophy for life. It’s about cutting the clutter and focusing on what truly matters, allowing you to lead a more fulfilled and balanced life both personally and professionally.

As Greg McKeown has written in his book titled “Essentialism” it’s not about doing more things in less time but doing only the right things right. It’s the constant pursuit of less but better, which involves discerning what’s essential and really eliminating what isn’t.

In embracing essentialism, the power of choice is our foremost ally. It’s crucial to recognize our ability to choose, to realize that not everything is an obligation or a “No-Choice”. Essentialism is not about getting more things done; it’s about getting the right things done and well done. It allows us to discern, to choose wisely where to invest our time and energy, and empowers us to focus on what truly matters.

In a world cluttered with tasks of little importance, discerning the trivial from the vital becomes a critical skill. Most of what consumes our time and energy doesn’t contribute significantly to our lives or the lives of others. By learning to distinguish the meaningful from the meaningless, we can allocate our resources to endeavors that genuinely impact and enrich our lives.

A simple word, “No”, becomes a powerful tool in our pursuit of essentialism. Saying no isn’t a rejection but a necessary decision to prioritize what is crucial over what is not. This seemingly simple act creates the space, the breathing room, for us to focus on what holds real value and meaning. But mastering the art of saying “No” goes deeper. It starts with self-awareness: understanding your priorities, limits, and values.

Saying “no” effectively is about clarity, understanding, and empathy. For instance, when a colleague requests you to take on an extra project, it’s not about bluntly refusing but finding a nuanced approach. You might say, “I understand this project’s importance, but with my current workload, I wouldn’t be able to give it the attention it deserves. Is there another way I can assist or a different timeline that might work?”
Another scenario could be a friend asking you to join them for a weekend trip when you have prior commitments or simply need some personal downtime. A thoughtful response could be, “I’d love to spend time with you, but this weekend I have some commitments I can’t push. Can we find another date that works for both of us?”

In these conversations, you differentiate between the task and the individual making the request. You’re showing respect for their needs while also asserting your own boundaries. And, if for some reason you can’t fulfill a commitment, take responsibility. Address it, apologize, and find ways to make amends.

The implementation of consistent routines can also facilitate a life oriented towards the essential. It enables the essential to seamlessly integrate into our daily lives, alleviating the mental load of constant decision-making. Through clear and focused intention, through prioritizing and simplifying, we, along with our organizations, can live with a more defined sense of purpose, with clarity in our lives.

But, how do we embark on this journey of reflection and discernment? Firstly, a clear understanding of our mission or purpose at work, our Clarity of Purpose, is essential. A set of questions guide this exploration: What really inspires me? What gives me energy? What unique contribution do I aspire to make? These inquiries act as the compass directing our journey towards essentialism.

Time management plays a pivotal role in steering this journey. Start by assessing your recent months’ agenda: the tasks you took, with whom, and how you invested your time.

Categorize each as either one of your top 2 essential priorities or not. Now, reflect: Are you satisfied with how you’ve invested your time? Is there a disparity between where you want to invest your time and where you actually are? When new opportunities knock, don’t just ask if they bear some benefit, but if they present a GREAT opportunity and if they truly align with your mission.

Adopting a lifestyle of essentialism also involves practicing the act of selecting, consciously choosing among the myriad of options life presents. This practice aids us in avoiding ‘autopilot’ mode and maintaining our focus on our priorities.

Asking the essential question, “What is the most important thing I need to do right now?” regularly, helps maintain this focus, and regular reviews of our activities and commitments allow us to assess if we are genuinely progressing towards our goals or entangled in the web of the non-essential.

Learning to decline tasks or commitments that do not align with our focus, while maintaining respect and understanding, is also crucial. Instead of measuring success by the volume of tasks completed, our focus should shift to the value these tasks bring, highlighting the importance of effectiveness and efficiency over sheer productivity.

This shift in mindset and practice, this pursuit of the essential over the numerous, can lead to greater clarity, reduced stress, improved performance, higher professional satisfaction, and a balanced life.

Are you ready to step into a life of purpose and clarity? To pursue what’s truly meaningful, to say no to the ‘good’ so you can say yes to the ‘great’? It’s about achieving better by doing less but doing it right. The journey may not be easy, but the rewards—optimizing results, minimizing stress, achieving balance—are well worth it.

I challenge you, could you soon be in a position where you can confidently tell your boss, “I’m focusing on the essential, doing much less but better, optimizing my results, minimizing my stress, and achieving a balance between work and personal life?” The time to act is now. Start by reflecting and responding clearly to all the above questions. Choose wisely, choose essentialism, choose a life with fewer, but the right things. The challenge awaits you.

Everywhere you turn, it seems the term ‘conscious’ is being used to describe an array of lifestyle choices: conscious eating, conscious shopping, conscious spending, and conscious environmental practices, just to name a few. But have you ever considered the concept of a conscious business?

A conscious business is not simply an organization that functions in a traditional sense; instead, it is a dynamic enterprise steered by individuals who consider the impact of their actions on all stakeholders. Characterized by a purpose that transcends profits, a conscious business continually questions: ‘How does our existence make the world a better place?

Considering the significant portion of our lives spent working, why not strive to make our workplaces as enriching as possible? The goal of a conscious business extends beyond mere productivity; it aims to foster a world where millions can live their lives with passion, purpose, love, compassion, and creativity.

A conscious business boosts both performance and productivity.

Fred Kofman, author of “Conscious Business, How to Build Value Through Values,” explains that a conscious business promotes the intelligent pursuit of happiness among all its stakeholders. But what are the identifiable characteristics of a conscious organization?

A conscious business doesn’t measure success solely through financial metrics. Instead, it evaluates success through three key lenses:

  • The ‘It’ perspective focuses on the organization’s effectiveness, efficiency, and reliability, all crucial for increasing shareholder value and growth.
  • The ‘We’ perspective emphasizes the organization’s ability to cultivate collaborative relationships that empower people to perform at their best.
  • The ‘I’ perspective encourages personal growth, meaning, and engagement for each stakeholder.

Each of these dimensions, with their breadth, depth, and reach, is crucial for the well-being and sustainability of every business.

When we look at an organization through impersonal eyes (or the ‘It’ dimension), we focus on its ability to achieve goals, get results, and be profitable. This dimension is essential for success. Without the proper financial results, a company wouldn’t exist, it would be unsustainable.

When we look at an organization through the interpersonal lens (or the ‘We’ dimension), we examine its ability to build a sense of belonging, build a community that works with solidarity, trust, and respect. You look how people collaborate, how they work in teams and as a system. This is where a company’s culture solidifies. Where people feel included and appreciated in their workplace.  This dimension is crucial for success as well because human beings are social creatures by nature. We crave and need the support and guidance of others to feel validated.

When we view an organization from a personal perspective (the ‘I’ dimension), we assess how individuals connect with their purpose, whether they feel fulfilled, whether their values align with the company’s, and their overall well-being and happiness.  At the end of the day, engaged people are much more productive and effective in the workplace, so it becomes a win-win situation.

Conscious businesses aim to harmoniously balance these three dimensions for sustainable results. However, there may be periods when one dimension requires more attention than the others. This might include closing a financial quarter, finishing a product development sprint to create a minimum viable product, focusing time in building the connection of a new team, having crucial conversations, or taking care of specific people because they are showing symptoms of burnout.

All these situations can drive us to overly focus on one of the dimensions.  However, conscious leaders do so deliberately, and always think about what they need to do to move back to the center on these three key dimensions.

A conscious business is intentional about the culture it creates.

Any organization is comprised of people who work together, supported by systems, processes and assets to deliver a common goal.  Very often, the organization defines a set of values and competencies with the intention of guiding employee behaviors, but these rarely translate into the day-to-day people experience.  Instead, we tend to adhere to the unwritten rules that define who will be successful, who will be accepted into the group, and who won’t.  These rules, shaped by individual leaders, create the prevailing organizational culture (or ‘the way we do things around here’) and go unquestioned.

A conscious organization cultivates an environment that encourages individuals, particularly leaders, to be mindful of their behavior and to take responsibility for their actions. They learn to consciously examine the mindsets from which they operate (the ‘being’ level), which subsequently influences their behavior (the ‘doing’ level) and the results they achieve (the ‘have’ level’).

Conscious businesses have a values-driven approach to business, where the focus on profit is balanced by a focus on the planet and people. Leaders in these organizations resist the false premise that results and people are at odds.

You might wonder, “Why does any of this matter?” The answer is simple: our actions today shape our future. Just as you make healthier choices to improve your well-being, why not apply the same philosophy to business?

Embracing a conscious business model not only amplifies your professional empowerment but also enriches your personal life. It fosters growth, nurtures skills, and ultimately drives meaningful change in our world.

And isn’t that worth striving for? Dare to reimagine the possibilities that arise from transforming business into a force for good, and witness the profound impact it can have on your life and the lives of countless others.

Curious Leaders Create Successful Cultures

Stefaan van Hooydonk, Founder of The Global Curiosity Institute, sat down with Axialent‘s Anabel Dumlao and internationally experienced CHRO Niklas Lindholm to explore how curiosity in leadership creates successful cultures. In this talk, they explored a variety of topics relating to curiosity in the workplace including leadership, high performance, and culture.  

The Case for Curiosity 

It is no longer a well-kept secret that mindset shifts that tap into curiosity, such as from a knower to a learner mindset, are particularly effective in the business world of today. According to the Harvard Business Review: “New research reveals that fostering curiosity has a wide range of benefits for organizations, leaders, and employees.” These benefits include:

  • Fewer decision-making errors. 
  • More innovation and positive changes in both creative and noncreative jobs. 
  • Reduced group conflict. 
  • More open communication and better team performance. 

Stefaan spoke about the correlation between curiosity and leadership. Curiosity is often taken for granted, but extremely important strategically. Often, companies start on a high note and are innovative, but after a while, if they have experienced success, they become less curious and take things for granted.

They think they are in control, and start to operate more or less on autopilot and copy the formulas for success that worked in the past. Companies like Blockbuster, Toys R Us, and Kodak are all examples of companies that were trying very hard to replicate the past – and were not ready when their industries changed. 

The question then arises, do organizations kill curiosity themselves? As start-ups maybe not, but once they scale, it seems so. According to research by the Global curiosity institute: 

  • Leaders are twice as ready to say their organization supports curiosity in comparison to the people who report to them 
  • After 3 years in the same role, the curiosity of an employee diminishes 
  • Middle-level managers are about four times less positive about curiosity compared to team leads or senior executives 
  • 24% of people regularly feel less curious at work 
Curious Leaders Create Successful Cultures

Learning about Curiosity 

Depending on the company and its culture, there can be a little more attraction or distraction related to curiosity. Before the 1950s, curiosity had a very negative connotation. It was only later that curiosity was linked to science, discovery, and exploration. Stefaan’s definition of curiosity is: “Curiosity is the mindset to challenge the status quo, explore, discover, and learn.” It may take time for people to be encouraged to think about how much it is a good versus a negative thing.  

Dimensions for curiosity include:  

  • Cognitive curiosity – “the world” – (resulting in innovation and creativity) 
  • Interpersonal curiosity – “others” – (leading to empathy) 
  • Intrapersonal curiosity – “ourselves” – (igniting resilience and self-awareness) 

Stefaan explained that the opposite of curiosity is conformity, which is always a base position. Conformity “tries to keep us in the status quo, and prefers a comfortable past over an uncertain future”. The predictability makes us feel good and gives us a sense of being in control.

This is not to say that it is unnecessary. Individuals and companies do need a sense of predictability. It becomes a danger, however, when we start losing awareness of conformity and don’t marry it with curiosity. The ideal situation is somewhere in the middle allowing for both.

Curiosity in a Fast-Changing Business World 

The case has become clearer out of COVID. We are realizing that some of the ideas we had are not relevant anymore, or are only partially relevant. Curiosity is especially important nowadays because company environments are changing all the time. 

While 90% of leaders now believe investing in curiosity is worthwhile, in practice, 50% say spending time focusing on curiosity could distract from priorities. Leadership is an important activator for curiosity in teams. Often, managers don’t realize the shadow they cast on the team. Poor leaders stifle curiosity, but great leaders who are intentionally curious uplift the team by encouraging them to follow their own behaviors.  

One simple way to increase curiosity is to ask for reverse feedback. According to a study by the Global Curiosity institute, 23% of first-line people managers ask subordinates how they are doing themselves while only 46% of middle managers do. 

Reverse feedback is a beautiful gift for a manager to give to themselves. Asking the open question of “how am I doing?” can be frightening. The more a manager says he or she does not know, the more respect they get. In many cultures, the idea is that being paid more means you must have more of the answers. You don’t have to. Inviting the team to come up with a solution together empowers them.  

Companies that embrace a culture of openness are outperforming their peers (ex. Microsoft). They transformed their culture through: 

  • A focus on workplace curiosity 
  • Switching from a culture of “know it all” to “learn it all” 
  • A willingness to embrace a growth mindset and explore biases 
  • Nonviolent communication 

Many other companies are also embedding curiosity at the level of corporate values as a guiding principle. For example:

  • Pepsi: Project marketplace inviting employees to apply to join limited-time projects in other departments.
  • McKinsey & Company: focus on the value of “Obligation to dissent” for all their employees.
  • Xicato: sales teams are incentivized to sell new products with a higher commission, enabling them to look for new markets.
  • Google: With the “20% project”, Google is allowing employees to spend 20% of their time working on passion projects to keep the spirit of innovation alive.
  • Fiskars: Leadership development is primarily structured around self-exploration of one’s own purpose and clarification of one’s individual values.
Curious Leaders Create Successful Cultures

Fostering Curiosity in Individuals, Teams, and Organizations

Stefaan described the difference between A-players and B-players, and how it actually pertains to curiosity. A-players harbor intentional curiosity. These are people who don’t necessarily need training because they are always ahead of the game. They learn and read more, have humility, and are not afraid to not “know” and to seek knowledge. They don’t just learn in their own specialty area but expand to grow in other intersectional areas. 

B-players want to learn and grow but have lost something along the way in their childhood or work that has stopped them from continuing to learn. Managers say they want A-players, but a lot of times they settle for B-players and don’t want people who stick out their necks and challenge the status quo. Other managers really welcome such employees. Curious organizations need curious employees.

Niklas spoke to the importance of creating a psychologically safe environment in order to have a curious organization or team. People need to feel that there are safe spaces for them to express ideas, and to fail. This requires a level of inclusive leadership.  

Dictatorial leaders will not allow new ideas. At the heart of inclusive leadership is coaching, which is very connected to curiosity. Coaching facilitates getting the right questions on the table.  

He also shared that it is important as a company from the onset to have curiosity embedded into its strategy, mission, purpose, and values. This will remind employees to stay curious, and connect curiosity to all the activities that are happening. It is extremely important to stay transparent in order to spark interest and adoption of the plans. 

It may be helpful to rank values according to which ones are actually being lived by. Curiosity might actually be the lowest if companies have the greatest difficulty delivering on it. Once awareness is there, figure out what you can do about it. Brainstorming techniques to increase curiosity don’t take a long time. You don’t have to go to the forest to have new ideas — it can be as simple as a 60–90-minute exercise. 

Ultimately, Niklas shared that exploration is one of the best outcomes of curiosity. This pertains to the external culture, where people are exploring and understanding what’s happening outside with the market and customers. It is important to put emphasis on the external world. Companies that are too internally focused start dying.  

Anabel spoke to symbols in culture, and how important they can be in highlighting what is important and valued in an organization. When it comes to curiosity, do leaders dedicate time toward it? If it’s not on their agenda, it is telling the message that leadership doesn’t truly value it. It also shows through role modeling – do managers listen to fix or to learn? Do people come out of meetings with leaders alive and energized, or is it the other way around?

Increasing Curiosity 

Curiosity can be baselined and treated scientifically. We are starting to see companies that are measuring and realizing where they actually are by being intentional about curiosity.

3 concepts to embrace to get better at curiosity:

  • Awareness – how aware are you of how you are showing up as a leader? 
  • Intentionality – in adopting and inviting curiosity 
  • Measurement – there are now a number of assessment tools that you can explore

The Global Curiosity Institute scored several multinational companies on 9 dimensions of environmental curiosity, and their research shed light on aspects where there is still room for improvement. The top 3 distractors below are where companies wanting to remove limiting barriers to curiosity should focus their enhancement efforts.

Curious Leaders Create Successful Cultures

Top 3 distractors from curiosity: 

  • Internal processes and practices 
  • Innovation mindset (including acceptance of failure) 
  • Culture of openness 

Curiosity is a powerful concept that has, in a way, molded humanity’s path through innovation and industrial revolutions. To learn more about this concept, watch the entire webinar below or get in touch with our experts.