“If the mind is really the best computer, then there are many
from people out there who need to be restarted. “
– Bryce’s law
INTRODUCTION
In the world of writing there is something called a “writer’s block” where the author is
hesitates to do his job and is easily distracted. Hopefully he will overcome
the problem and tackles its task. To do this, he has to eliminate
Distractions and keep his brain busy with the subject at hand. The same goes for
in any case, be it a carpenter, an engineer or a programmer. The more we
the brain can involve the more we can produce. The challenge is therefore
how to maximize the use of our brain. By brain power, I am not referring to a
Measure IQ, but just do what God has given us.
STAGES
I may not be a psychologist, but it was my observation as a management
Advisors that there are essentially three levels on which our brain works:
LEVEL 1 – PRIMAL
This represents our basic instincts and reflex actions when we stumble through
Life (I call this the “autopilot” mode). For example, we are planning a morning
Regime where we wake up and prepare for work. We are not at that level
most awake. Instead, let’s just catch up on the news, Brush
our teeth, clothe us, and travel to work. Likewise at the end of the day we
Slow down our activity as we prepare for sleep. In other words, we are evolving
predictable routines that are run through day after day without much thought. The
Brain is busy, but far from our maximum performance. In fact, we take in more
when we deleted. Here we want to be entertained or informed.
LEVEL 2 – MODERATE
This level corresponds to the same level for input and output. The brain is either
Accelerate (at the beginning of the working day) or slow down (at the end)
of the working day). At this level we have no problem taking instructions and
produce an average amount of work, quite often mundane or routine tasks
simply to pass the time of day. We are also easily distracted. Normally
Work Day, Level 2 usually occurs between 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. (as work)
Day begins), 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. (after lunch) and 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. (as
We prepare for the end of the working day.
LEVEL 3 – ACCELERATED
This level represents a high level of performance where we can concentrate
and give our best work effort. The brain is busy here and ours
The output exceeds our input because we focus on the job in hand. By doing
normal working day, level 3 usually occurs between 10:00 and 12:00,
and 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
AVERAGE WORKING DAY
Let us now consider how we use the time during the average working day and
Think how much is used at the different levels. First we’ll share that
Day in three equal steps of eight hours: sleep, work and personal time.
CALM – 8 HOURS
During this time the brain is not really busy other than maintaining
Body functions.
WORK – 8 HOURS
Based on studies we’ve done on time management, we have
found that most corporate office workers are about 70% effective.
That is, in an eight-hour work day, they spend about six hours doing it
direct work orders and two hours for indirect activities (time that
does not contribute directly to their duties; z. B. breaks, meetings,
Taking instructions or instructions, etc.)
PERSONAL TIME – 8 HOURS
This is the time when we do pet projects and hobbies.
Pay bills, run errands, attend an event (e.g. a meeting),
Relaxation, awake, prepare for sleep, etc. During this time we have
Typically, you will spend two hours of focused work and six hours
indirect activities.
GEAR CHANGE
This means that on a typical work day, we only spend eight hours really exercising
the brain (levels 2 and 3). But from a manager’s point of view, we are first and foremost
is devoted to the six hours of work. During this time people will
Spend about three hours on level 2 and three hours on
Level 3. This ratio between Level 2 and 3 varies depending on how well
The worker can involve the brain. Some people are able to get theirs involved
Level 3 brains for several hours, some only for an hour, and some not at all.
At this point, we need to realize that thinking is hard work. Although level 3
If we want employees to appear, we have to recognize that nobody can
Keep it running at full speed for an extended period of time. The brain gets tired and
moderates himself and changes from level 3 to level 2 or level 1.
We must also beware of the “cattle phenomenon” into which we fall
The boredom of repetitive behavior and as such our brains don’t advance
beyond level 2. Consequently, repetition often leads to laziness.
“Anyone who happily marches to the music in the base has already earned my contempt. He has
was accidentally given a large brain as the spinal cord would be enough for him. “
– Albert Einstein
SOME RECOMMENDATIONS
It is the manager’s goal to keep employees at level 3 for that long
as it is practical, which makes the best and most voluminous work products. Do
Hence, the manager needs to minimize distractions, relieve tension, and maximize focus
on work (concentration). To do this, the manager should consider the following:
* Use of stimulants
No, I do not suggest the use of narcotics in the workplace, except: a
good strong cup of coffee (the rocket fuel of the industry). However, you want
create an environment that appeals to the human senses, especially visual,
Audio, touch, even smell. For example, a well-lit and brightly painted room
stimulates the human senses in contrast to a dark, dull, lackluster room. ONE
Painting or office furniture can add a touch of class and emphasize the disposition
of the office. A quiet office, perhaps with a suitable backdrop
Music can help people concentrate, as opposed to a noisy and boisterous environment.
Ergonomically designed office equipment can have a positive effect on employees
Behavior. But be careful not to introduce too much convenience, as it might disturb people
sleep. To illustrate, I have no problem with hard chairs forcing people
stand up and take care.
Encourage mental gymnastics during the day. Maybe a friendly debate
or solving a problem. It has long been known that puzzles, crosswords,
Chess, checkers and the like stimulate the human brain. Easy easy
Social intercourse can work wonders when it comes to stimulating the mind.
Look at room temperature; If it’s too warm or too cold, it will be distracting.
However, keep the room cooler than warm as this will have to keep you awake. Also
Look at the amount of available oxygen that stimulates the brain.
Another area to check is nutrition. Make sure the workers eat the right thing
Food in the right amount. Large meals tend to get people to sleep right away
after that.
Basic exercises can improve both physical and mental acuity. Lots
Companies are now offering in-house facilities for such programs.
Understand that employee breaks aren’t all bad. It gives one to the worker
Opportunity to get away from your job, clear your head and come back with you
better focus. Of course there will be employees who abuse this
Privilege and for this reason the manager must constantly monitor them
Use of breaks.
Ultimately, the corporate culture has a profound impact on the stimulation
of workers. When the right environment is in place, you can become lethargic
Workers in “movers and shackers”.
* Motivate
The manager must encourage workers to take on a challenge
and work harder. To this end, the manager must play the role of the industrialist
Psychologist to understand what makes people tick and thus provide the means
to motivate them to excel. This can be done with simple praise, and rewards
Recognition. This can also be done through constructive criticism. I have seen
Cases where both a cheerleading approach and a tough taskmaster approach
have had a positive effect. Some people respond to praise, others respond
better when their integrity is in question. Here the manager has to be intuitive
know when and where to press the right buttons on their workers.
The manager needs to be able to create a sense of urgency regardless of the urgency
Task at hand. This can be done with either a carrot or a stick, depending on the situation.
The employee must understand that their work is important and adds value to their life.
When they feel that their work is irrelevant, their self-esteem suffers and so does they
will make little effort to achieve anything. One way to do this is
empowering workers and making them more personally accountable for them
Measures and enable them to participate in the decision-making process. By
By creating a sense of ownership, the worker becomes more responsible (and active).
in their work effort.
* Avoid repetition
As mentioned earlier, repetition can cause the brain to relax. For this reason,
The manager has to think about how to break the monotony and create the monotony
Re-focus workers. Work breaks can dissolve boredom, perhaps with a short break
physical exercise thrown in. Scheduled breaks are effective, but they can also be provided
the problem of repetition; B. Workers work around expected breaks. In contrast,
Unscheduled breaks often work better because they upset workers’ expectations. think
of it as a game by “Musical Chairs”.
Sometimes a simple change of scene can help break up repetitions. Instead
Try a different physical destination if you keep meeting in the same place
Place to get workers interested.
* Health
No matter how logical we think we are, the brain is a physical organ
strongly influenced by human health. When we are sick or in need (maybe due
until the death of a loved one, an impending divorce, financial problems, etc.), it
is difficult to concentrate on our work. The manager should monitor the worker
take mental / physical health and corrective action. For example if someone
is sick, take them to a doctor so they can mend and become productive
once again. The last thing you need is someone to infect the rest of the way
Your employees with an infectious disease (e.g. colds, flu, etc.).
The manager should also look for sleep deprivation in workers and lawyers
them accordingly. A tired worker will not turn his brain on properly. Furthermore,
Look for signs of substance abuse and depression that may be detrimental
on their work.
* Minimize distractions
One of the manager’s duties is to monitor the environment of
the worker to minimize distractions and create a suitable environment
concentrate on their work tasks. To help with this, a project
The management system is useful for recording both direct and indirect activities. By
This allows the manager to analyze the causes of employee distractions and plan the action
Trends and take appropriate action to minimize interference. For example,
If a manager detects excessive phone use, they can develop a policy
arrest the abuse. It can even go so far as to put all outgoing calls on hold.
The point is, the manager should constantly monitor and analyze
Disruptions and distractions so workers can focus on theirs
Workload.
* Avoid technology
A recent study was carried out for Hewlett by Kings College, London
Packard, whose purpose it was to study the effects of technology
on employee performance. According to Dr. Glenn Wilson, the study’s author:
“The results clearly showed that the technological distraction reduced the performance of the IQ test
(The averages dropped from 143.38 in calm conditions to 132.75 below
‘loud’ conditions). “
“The influence of the distraction was greater in men (145.50 to 127) than in women
(141.25 to 138.50). In other words, men were superior in calm conditions.
Women were superior in the state of distraction. This is consistent with the notion that women
are better than men at ‘multitasking’. “
“Loud conditions caused a remarkable increase in self-reported stress. Ratings on a scale of 0-10
The “stress” experienced during the test increased from 2.75 to 5.5 in men and from 4.75 to 6.75
for women. Note that women reported the test conditions in addition to the main effect
overall more stress than men. “
Basically, Wilson’s study says that overuse of technology is possible
affect a person’s brain performance. That is a bit annoying
as technology pervades our society now. For example when traveling
At the airports I recently saw the majority of my fellow passengers being “switched off”
Technology. The lion’s share of travelers today actively use iPods, PDAs,
Cell phones, DVD and CD players and laptops. It seems less and less
Travelers read a book or stop having conversations. In other words, most of them
Travelers today work at level 2.
If Wilson is right, and I think he is, the manager should pay attention to it
these adverse effects of technology and discourage the use of such devices,
especially during the break and encourage more interpersonal contact
instead. Technology has its place, but I tend to believe that we rely too heavily on one another
thereon. For example, using an automatic calculator allows our brains to relax
while the machine does the math. Too many times I’ve seen people reaching for you
Calculators to make a simple calculation instead of working it out
Paper and pencil. They just don’t want their brains occupied. Next me
I’ve seen entire technical departments come to a standstill with the power supply
Failures brought their computers to a standstill. Are they really lacking the ability to continue their work?
Job? Not really; Their thoughts were simply shut off by the technology.
CONCLUSION
The human brain distinguishes us from the rest of God’s creatures. It is
sad if we don’t take full advantage of it. How the brain shifts
between levels 1-2-3 we control ourselves. We can
choose to engage with it and strive to achieve it or not, and
get lazy and complacent. It can also be activated due to circumstances
and affected by others, such as our friends, family, and colleagues
Manager.
How a manager manipulates the brain power of his worker is analogous to this
a mechanic fine tuning a car. He’s just trying to get that
most of it. Hopefully we can give the mechanic something to work with
With; If not, we’ll be scrapped.
“The more you use your brain, the more brain you have to use.”
– George Dorsey
Further information on time usage can be found below
“PRIDE” Special Subject Bulletins:
No. 18 – Be effective in project planning – April 04, 2005
http://www.phmainstreet.com/mba/ss050404.pdf
No. 17 – Take the puzzle out of the estimate – March 28, 2005
http://www.phmainstreet.com/mba/ss050328.pdf