Working with Intention
Today I will practice being INTENTIONAL to improve work/life engagement.
While the beginnings of the pandemic were marked with great upheaval and daily/hourly uncertainty that required maximum engagement, many of us have settled into routines that are tightly constrained and predictable. Our circles are smaller and commutes are measured in feet instead of miles. Opportunities for intellectually stimulating interactions have been replaced by thumbnails of our co-workers in virtual meetings and binging on entire seasons of "garbage TV."
As a result, I've found myself operating on autopilot too much lately and run the risk of doing work that is not in alignment with the ends I aspire to achieve. It's easy to fall into the trap of allowing the subconscious to take over and guide us. It's much more difficult to engage the frontal lobe and be deliberate in our actions and deeds.
Improving Intention, Step 1: Self-Reflection
I believe that both personal and workplace intention must be practiced. To get started, carve out time for self-reflection. Here are a few questions to ask yourself:
Are my individual and team goals well-defined? Do they align with my purpose? Does my purpose align with the company's north star?
Am I filling my time with "busy work" that is not moving me and my team closer to our goals?
What's the status of my "joy/drudgery" ledger? Is it out of balance?
Are things "happening to me" or am I "making things happen?"
On average, am I a "tourist" or a meaningful contributor in the endless stream of virtual meetings I'm invited to?
Am I adrift or anchored - floating or grounded?
A wonderful tool to use during this (or any other) self-exploration exercise is the "five whys" to help uncover root cause. To use the five whys, pick a question from above and ask your first why. Your response is unlikely to arrive at root cause, so ask "why" a second time. Continue asking whys in an attempt to shed superficial rationale and delve deeper into the true meaning behind motivations and purpose.
A word of caution: the use of the five whys requires an open mind and a strong ego in order to challenge potential unconscious bias and consider answers that may not be popular or fit neatly into existing narratives. Hence, it's seldom the case that meaningful results come solely from self-reflection exercises. To make more progress, we will need the help of our coaches and mentors.
Improving Intention, Step 2: Talk to a Coach
Many of us will need the help of a coach or mentor to turn self-reflection into action. To start, ask your supervisor for a meaningful block of time to discuss the results of your self-reflection. An enlightened, empathetic supervisor will have a strong coaching skillset that will help get you back on track. This brand of supervisor will have excellent active listening skills and will jump at the chance to engage in a development conversation driven by you versus more traditional development conversations that are driven by them.
The reason behind starting with your supervisor is that they should have a clear understanding of business priorities and are in the best position to help "connect the dots" between your role/work and that of the team and ultimately the company's north star. Narrowing focus is key here - it's easy to become overwhelmed by the list of things we should be more intentional or deliberate about and end up paralyzed and do nothing.
If you don't feel like your supervisor would be receptive to this conversation do two things:
Engage in the "five whys" exercise to uncover the root cause of behind your reticence to have a deeper development conversation with your supervisor. One of your boss's primary jobs is to help coach and develop you into that next best version of yourself. Maybe you're held back by the post-traumatic stress of a "bad boss" in your past and you're projecting that experience on your current supervisor. However scary it may seem to have a deep development conversation with your supervisor, I recommend giving it a chance - you might be pleasantly surprised!
Ask a non-work coach or mentor to help you make sense of your self-reflection. As an alternative, your company's HR department may have access to third-party coaching resources.
Conclusion
According to Gallup, employee engagement has been on a "rollercoaster" ride since early 2020. I can personally relate to that analogy. The mental exhaustion of the past year's constant ups and downs increases the allure of allowing the subconscious to take the wheel.
To improve the probability we come out of the pandemic more engaged than ever, we should all exercise the muscles it takes to be intentional and deliberate in our work and at home.
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If you liked this article, please consider reading my book Balancing Act which is available here and wherever books are sold. You can also subscribe to The Balancing Act Podcast on your favorite podcast app. Here's the link on Spotify.
Grace. Dignity. Compassion.
Andy
