by Chris Zelasko, President
Reflecting on our keynote speaker, Todd Attridge, from the Peak Strategies for Success Conference this past May, there is so much to unpack from his presentation “Regaining Control in a World of Overwhelm”.
Todd Attridge comes with impressive street cred. His company, “Different Matters”, aligns Todd to work closely with senior and executive leadership teams to reduce stress and overwhelm.
Todd was once selected to be one of 120 people to spend a week working with Brené Brown, the sociologist/researcher whose 2010 TED Talk about vulnerability catapulted her to international guru status.
His presentation unfolded easily from the top down, explaining how leadership styles had changed (no more ‘Command and Control’ style), and that addressing and managing emotions are necessary tools for ensuring our teams and selves can successfully do our jobs within our group and individual capacities.
First, he described a brief definition of “overwhelm” as simply as feeling out of control. He added that this could lead to a number of negative and unproductive behaviours and responses that range from illogical, irrational, biased, regret (what you say or do), poor choices and simply freezing up. “When feelings are hijacked,” he said, “we react erratically and panic.”
Leaders, he said, are there to regulate their teams by balancing capacity and ambition. Essential is recognizing that ambition (the desire to please and achieve) is infinite but capacity (the actual ability to achieve it) is finite.
When ambition exceeds capacity, we reach overwhelm and the emotional hijack kicks in.
Attridge offered a wealth of solutions and strategies (too many to list here), but the most practical was his visualization of buckets as an analogy for our capacity.
Imagine Five Capacity Buckets:
Bucket 1 = Time Bucket 2 = Mental Bucket 3 = Emotional Bucket 4 = Physical Bucket 5 = Resources
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None of these buckets, he said, are finite nor are they limited to work. Many, for example, can run out of capacity when filled by unproductive or mentally taxing (in terms of work) drama, conflicts, miscommunications, as well as young children, aging parents, commuting time and after-hour commitments.
The signs that someone is over-capacity can range from feeling exhausted, always behind and a sense of low self-esteem, to states of high stress, numbing and even depression.
The fiscal cost of overwhelm, says Todd, is much more tangible. In real-world currency, the resulting costs from a population of overwhelmed workers, he said, is huge:
Addiction problems add up to $608 billion
Disengagement costs industry $550 billion
Sick days can cost $225 billion
Attridge turned the next chapter of his talk, which was how to recognize your capacity limits and set boundaries for yourself, which are never a one-size-fits all, but need tailoring to fit each capacity, colleague and situation. From your own tendency to say yes to everything, to the worker next to you who loves to share family photos while you’re trying to work, to the team-meetings that run-on beyond agenda points.
A vibrant Q&A session followed; I’ll leave you with two gems:
Q: This is great to know, but what about creating teams at work so everyone can understand this?
A: Absolutely, said Attridge. Have a reality talk, e.g.: “Let’s admit we’re all humans who need boundaries.”
The idea of permission is important, he added, suggesting team leaders gift their teams permission to state boundaries. And by respecting those boundaries and capacity limits when asking what can be accomplished in a given week when workloads are building and time is fleeting. Attridge suggested asking in small steps: What can we expect in results this week and how could we find balance if we added “this” or “that”? He recommends working from a “What would it take?” perspective.
He even provided guests a realistic conversation that can happen at home as well, when a family member is frequently absolutely drained from work. “Families are teams,” he said, saying boundaries need to be set by asking “how can we build that capacity so you are here for your children/spouse/siblings/house?”
The second gem is what you may want to keep on hand, especially anyone who was unable to attend this conference and is hearing bells go off as you read this. You can view Todd’s full presentation HERE.
Chris ZelaskoPresidentPeak Benefit Solutions Chris Zelasko, CEBS (Certified Employee Benefits Specialist), CHS (Certified Health Specialist) brings close to 20 years experience with him in the benefits and insurance industry to the Peak Benefit team. He provides an individualized focus to each client he meets with and ensures all plans are designed to provide competitive options that achieve the company’s goals. His approach is to ensure his clients develop and understand their benefit plan objectives and provides them with sound advice in determining options that best meet their needs. Chris’s advice is based on thorough knowledge of the insurance and benefits industry where he is a recognized leader for his solid guidance and superior customer service.
Chris lives in the Clarington with his wife and 2 boys. He is a member of the Bowmanville Rotary Club, Clarington Board of Trade, the Durham Chapter of Advocis and the Darlington Soccer Club. |
Peak Benefit Solutions Inc. was established in 2008 and have helped more than 400 clients from entrepreneurs, manufacturing, professional services and public organizations with their comprehensive benefits planning. Every step of the way, we are with you. |
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