The cost of overwhelm

When it hits you, that information overload feeling, what do you do? Panic? Get a coffee? Look at your phone?

None of these are helpful.

The feeling of overload, that ‘full sponge’ feeling isn’t pleasant.

Disengagement, distraction and withdrawal are all behaviours connected with information overload.

We try to cope. How often do we nod to say we understand something or have the information in hand, but in reality we're scrambling to catch up, struggling to stay awake or fed up with feigning interest?

Could it be career limiting if we don’t appear smart, sharp and “all over it”, having all the information under our control?

Enough.

It’s time to call out when something doesn’t make sense or the pace, quantity or style of information is overwhelming us.

It’s most likely overwhelming others too. We have a responsibility as communicators of information to guard against information overload in ourselves, and creating overwhelm for others.

We don’t need to suffer. Cognitive load coping is very much a skill for today....and the future.

The cost of confusion

How much time do we spend trying to make sense of things, re-reading, scanning, skipping through information trying to piece it all together.

While the world’s productivity gurus are keen on selling us a new app or habit, what if we looked at the cost of confusion and sought to reduce the time we spend confusing people.

Rather than acting like we’ve got it together, what if we set aside a few minutes in a meeting to make sense? What if, instead of saying ’Now, let me give you some context’ and embarking on a 15-minute explanation of the history going back to the 1900s (yes this happened recently) we asked, ‘What do you need to make sense of?’

What if we shut up first.

What if we asked them about the parts they need to make sense of.

Imagine all the unnecessary detail, the overly long ‘context’ monologues and the long-winded ‘let-me-tell-you-about-the-history-of-this-thing’ stories.

Check first. What do they need? Where is their knowledge now; where does it need to be? Don't add to the overload; make sense instead.

Q: What’s a topic you’re confused about right now? 

ISH: The Problem with our Pursuit for Perfection and the Life-Changing Practice of Good Enough’

It’s natural to want to do well - at work, in study, in life, to do our best But what happens when striving for the best becomes more; the pursuit of perfection?

Perfectionism is on the rise and has dire consequences for how we think and feel about ourselves and others, how we think, live, and work. It's causes over-thinking, over-working, burnout, sleeplessness and mental health issues like depression and anxiety.

We can’t keep going like this!

But what’s the alternative? In 2019 I released ‘ISH: The Problem with our Pursuit for Perfection and the Life-Changing Practice of Good Enough’. It uncovers how to think, work and achieve in clever ways adapted from the worlds of software development, and improvisation. How do they get things done? What can we learn from them?

In ‘ISH’, I explain:

🔅The problem with chasing perfection and why we seek it

🔅The mental loop that traps us into thinking perfection is the answer

🔅The idea of ‘ISH’ which means somewhat, near enough

🔅9 ways to think and work that provide a healthy and productive alternative to perfectionism.

Excellence, quality and continuous improvement are important. But the pursuit of perfection … not so much.

Q: Do you 'ish'?

What sensemaking is and why we need it

When the Institute for the Future said sensemaking was something we'd need for 2020 and beyond, I'm sure many people thought 'Huh? What is that, why do I need it?'

We have some natural abilities to make sense yet we also need sharper skills when problem solving and dealing with complex issues and information.  

I wrote a book called 'Making Sense: A Handbook for the Future of Work'. This books proposes that using visuals isn't about pretty pictures, but rather functional and practical tools that help us get to grips with information and ideas quickly.

The sooner we make sense of what's going on, the sooner we can make decisions ... and the sooner we can act.

We usually try to make sense by talking to (or at) each other. But making a 'map' is more effective.

How do you make a map? In 'Making Sense' I've provided: 40 thought starters 10 thinking tools 21 techniques 32 templates to help you make maps for sense. So when you need to make sense of things, get the book out, start mapping and sensemaking. You'll be equipped to decide and act... sooner.

Q: How do you currently make sense of things? 

Working in uncertainty

A phrase often heard in the startup world and a mantra of entrepreneurs striving to make forward progress is 'start before you’re ready'. It’s a motto that can apply to many of us.

OK not surgeons or pilots!

Yet we can spend (waste?) a lot of time waiting for the ‘right’ time, or waiting until we ‘feel right’ or for the right path to appear.

If we keep waiting for the most perfect and ideal conditions or we do all that ‘busy work’ that isn’t about launching or shipping or changing something, then we will be waiting... forever.

Things may not ever be 100% finished or ready; we'll have to start, launch, print, send, go before we feel ready ... or are ready.

Most things aren't certain when you're working in uncertainty.

 Q: Why do you think we can be fearful to start before we're ready? Leave a comment below sharing your thoughts.