When Henry Ford borrowed the idea of a production line from slaughterhouses at the turn of the last century and applied it to his automobile plant, he created the notion of hyperefficiency our culture has adopted. Even in knowledge work (or, as they are sometimes tellingly called, knowledge factories), the belief is that we must work continuously at a fast pace.
But neuroscience researcher and consultant Mithu Storoni argues that’s not the best way to work in our modern era. She says we have three gears or speeds at which our mind operates and always being in the fastest and most intense gear is not effective. We must shift gears to be productive.
“Intense mental work depletes resources and generates mental fatigue much faster than light mental work,” she writes in Hyperefficient.
It also is ultimately more productive because the output quality is higher. “The assembly-line flattened mind, without its peaks of brilliance and troughs of recovery, will not be optimally placed to flourish in a world where generating genius ideas and designing ingenious solutions define success. Efficiency is no longer defined by the quantity of output, but by its quality,” she adds.
Our first gear is familiar from the period when you first wake up in the morning or when you are sitting lazily on a park bench in the afternoon, watching the world pass by. You are relaxed. No single thing holds your attention. It’s a time of “slow power,” when you are not revved up enough to go through complex information or stick with anything for very long. But you are more receptive to thoughts inside your head.
“This panoramic perspective makes it difficult to attach your focus to a single task, and this is why the gear one state of mind is indispensable to mental work: It lets you unplug your attention and rest your mind. It also helps you wipe your mental slate clean so you resume your task with a fresh approach, and can see it from a new angle,” she notes.
While gear one is best for recharging your mental engine, resting and daydreaming, gear two, is best for mental work, concentration, problem solving, critical thinking and creativity. The prefrontal cortex of your brain, the master seat of mental work, is fully engaged. She uses the image of a camera lens: You can now bring the target of your attention into sharp focus while the background is blurred.
There are actually two levels in this gear. A low-energy gear two state is best for spontaneous creativity. You can let your mind wander one moment and quickly narrow it in the next to bring an emerging insight into sharp focus.
The high-energy gear two state is for learning complex concepts, divergent thinking and brainstorming. Norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter in the brain that plays a critical role in regulating arousal and attention, is at the highest levels, which is why you feel energized. It feels good, a result she believes of the fact you can unlock, discover and comprehend the world around you.
In gear three, your mind drills through information at a rapid pace. “Your typing speed will skyrocket, but you won’t be able to thoughtfully analyze what you type,” she explains. “In this state, you can execute anything that feels automatic – or that you have rehearsed so well that you don’t need to think about it – extremely fast without wasting time thinking. This makes gear three ideal for responding to emergency, time-critical situations when you don’t want to be distracted by emotions or analysis.”
Quick hits
- What is creating energy in your life right now? Venture capitalist Sahil Bloom suggests that is a good question to pose in an unfamiliar social or professional situation where you want to spark conversation.
- Productivity author Laura Vanderkam recommends keeping a list of links on your phone of interesting articles you can read when stuck in a line. Or turn to your Kindle and read a book.
- Consultant Marlene Chism advises making a list of the petty things in life that irritate and distract you, such as your contribution to some project not being acknowledged or your failure to close a deal. Notice patterns and when such situations arise again calm your brain so you aren’t seeing a threat but instead opportunity. Also, take a pregnant pause: Breathe, breathe, breathe.
Harvey Schachter is a Kingston-based writer specializing in management issues. He, along with Sheelagh Whittaker, former CEO of both EDS Canada and Cancom, are the authors of When Harvey Didn’t Meet Sheelagh: Emails on Leadership.
