Inspiring Workplaces
The Way Work Ought to Be! |
ISSUE 1,020 - May 8, 2024 |
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The Power of Positive Distractions |
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Most people assume that distractions are productivity-draining beasts, but are there times when an intentional distraction is just what the workplace productivity doctor ordered? (Okay, so you must know the answer is yes, otherwise this would be a ridiculous
opening.)
When Alfred Hitchcock and his co-writers reached an impasse on a screenplay, Hitchcock would ask everyone to stop focusing on the script and share a story with each other. This always got them unstuck and back on track.
Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing, The Social Network) hops into the shower every time he hits the wall with his writing.
One of my clients has a "Walk It Off" meeting rule - when tensions rise in a meeting, they call a ten minute timeout and every participant must go for a walk alone before reconvening.
Another client has a ritual in their meeting where they squeeze a squeaking rubber chicken to signal it's time for an official "humor break" - either when tensions have risen or when the group has hit a wall brainstorming.
According to Harvard University psychology researcher Shelley H. Carson, distraction can be beneficial in three ways:
1. Distractions offer different and more stimulus leading to greater creativity.
2. Distractions push aside mental debris and help our minds zero in on a solution because the decision-making part of our brains is still active while we're distracted by something else. You've experienced this if you've ever put a half-solved crossword puzzle down in frustration, only to easily solve it an hour later.
3. Distractions can improve moods. Carson's research found that after people are distracted they typically notice more things, their minds open up, and their overall mood substantially improves.
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Mike's Fun at Work Tip |
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My friend, the brilliant speaker and facilitator Jennifer Spear, told me about a mobile recess cart she spotted at a Nashville city park. The recess cart was stocked with free lawn games, board games, and art supplies. This is a fabulous idea that you could easily adapt to your workplace and turn into a mobile humor or stress-busting cart, stockpiled
with stress squeeze balls, funny books, funny office props, fun snacks, puppies (okay, maybe not puppies), kittens (okay, maybe not kittens)...you'll figure out what works best for your workplace.
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Quote of the Week |
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"People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing."
Dale Carnegie
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Funny Business |
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As seen on a sign on the window case in an ice cream shop:
PLEASE DO NOT TAP ON THE GLASS
IT SCARES THE ICE CREAM!
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Cost-Saving Opportunities to
Book Michael
Toronto: Various dates in June
New Brunswick: June 15-18
How to Be An Inspiring Culture Leader: What Culture Leaders Do to Create Inspiring Workplace Cultures That Drive Extraordinary Results This online membership site/course includes 12 video-based modules, 5 eBooks, and all the resources you need to help you and your team build an inspiring workplace culture that
works for everyone. Great deals for bulk signups!
WANTED: Lonely Audiences Seeking Energizing Speaker Respond to this email to find out how Michael can energize your workplace culture! "That was the best presentation I have seen in my 40 years in business." Rodney Meadows, Director, East Alabama Home Medical
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| Follow Michael Kerr - The Workplace Energizer! |
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Copyright © 2024 Michael Kerr. All Rights Reserved.
mike@mikekerr.com
Suite #644, 104-743 Railway Avenue, Canmore, AB, T1W 1P2 |
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