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2015-04-08 05:19:02
Alexander Caillet
Jeremy Hirshberg
Stefano Petti
April 6, 2015
You know you re in a bad mood. You know it s hurting your performance at work.
But how do you get yourself out of it?
We investigated how 740 leaders tried to solve this problem for themselves, and
we presented their best practices in a previous HBR article. But when we took a
deeper look, we discovered that many of these professionals had mixed results
when they used these practices separately or infrequently. As a result, more
than half of them couldn t shift their states of mind when they needed to.
It s clear that consistency and combination are the real keys to success. After
years of experimenting, we ve discovered that one specific sequence of
practices can, when performed regularly, greatly increase a leader s ability to
shift into the productive state of mind we refer to as CHE calm, happy and
energized. We call this the 4-Step Reset:
1. Engage breathing
Breathing can help you achieve a physiological condition called coherence,
which leads to improved mental clarity, focus, emotional stability, and
decision making. During coherence, the sympathetic (speeding up) and
parasympathetic (slowing down) branches of the autonomic nervous system are
working in reciprocity. When this happens our heart rate follows the same
pattern it speeds up and then slows down. Slower, deeper breathing at a
constant rate can help induce coherence because when we inhale, our heart rate
increases and when we exhale it decreases, thereby helping our nervous system
achieve this balance.
Lisa Kelly Croswell, vice president for human resources at the Boston Medical
Center, often uses coherent breathing at work to refocus. It frees up my brain
capacity to think clearly and make different types of decisions faster, she
explains. It takes out all the noise and crunching of my mental gears.
2. Activate a positive feeling
With breathing engaged, begin to quietly focus on a person, place, or thing you
truly appreciate and/or are grateful for. Make sure you reactivate the actual
feelings they elicit in you so that you reexperience them. Consider using
visual and tactile cues (e.g. photographs, drawings, special objects, letters)
and external stimuli like nature and music and to deepen the feeling. The idea
is to stimulate the release of neurochemicals, such as dopamine and serotonin,
and hormones, such as oxytocin. These can collectively improve our mood and
outlook, and help us remain alert, curious and engaged.
Megan Griffault, global HR director for FMC Agricultural Solutions describes
this step as taking a moment to tap into a positive feeling or appreciation.
When she does it, she says she s able to approach situations and issues from a
more subjective and calm state of mind, which almost always produces better
results.
3. Reframe thinking
Next, ask yourself one or more questions to assess your current thinking and
help you decide if different thoughts might be more beneficial in your current
situation. Here are a few suggestions:
What else is possible here?
What is the opportunity in this situation?
What really matters right now?
What could I learn in this moment?
What does my heart say? What does my gut say?
What is a more useful/constructive/positive approach?
What is the most desirable outcome?
Jim O Connor, vice president of Timberland PRO describes himself as an
optimistic and upbeat leader who sometimes slips into negative thinking. When
that happens, he challenges himself with these and other reframing questions:
The first two steps of the reset have become automatic. But then I consciously
take a look at my thinking so that I can shift it and keep my mind in a
positive state.
4. Reengage action
With breathing engaged, a positive feeling activated, and reframed thoughts
emerging, the fourth step is to re-engage with a new attitude and behaviors and
perhaps a different course of action.
To be fair, this process is easier explained than done. It takes time and
practice to master the ability to shift your state of mind and create
sustainable change in your emotions, words, and deeds. But, as Hilary Ware,
senior vice president of Bristow Group, Inc. says, The key to strong
leadership is understanding that performance is linked to a clear and balanced
state of mind. The 4-Step Reset is a simple way to help break your bad habits,
move toward greater calm, happiness, and energy, and become more effective as a
result.
Alexander Caillet is an organizational psychologist and international
management consultant. He is on the faculty of Georgetown University s
Institute for Transformational Leadership and its Leadership Coaching program.
Jeremy Hirshberg is the regional director of leadership solutions for the
Center for Creative Leadership in San Diego, CA.
Stefano Petti is the managing director of Asterys, a consultancy specializing
in leadership and organizational transformation based in Rome, Italy.