Give Permission For Working Differently
Perhaps my favorite chapter of Ideaflow (which is like choosing a favorite child) is the last chapter, devoted to what we call “tactical withdrawals.” Sometimes, the best way forward in solving a problem is to allow yourself to retreat.
Operative word here being, “allow.” It is profoundly uncomfortable to choose to work differently.
Certain activities “look like” work. Being in the spreadsheet. Being on email. Etc.
But what about taking a walk? That’s what Joyce Carole Oates does when she’s stuck. What about playing an instrument? Einstein did that. How about laughing together? That was Tversky and Kahneman’s trick. What about napping? Frank Lloyd Wright sometimes took two naps per day!
What effective, inventive individuals across the ages know is that walking and playing and laughing and napping are ways of working differently, of summoning the subconscious into operating in the background. Even mind wandering is profoundly effective at stimulating creativity.
But can you imagine admitting that you’re allowing your mind to wander at work?
In today’s hyper-connected, double- and triple-booked cultures, it requires permission not only from leaders — but from oneself — to work differently. Incubation isn’t instantaneous.
Related: Allow Your Mind to Wander
Related: Allow Time for Incubation
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The fine folks over at Section recently interviewed me about some common mistakes I’m seeing folks make when they use AI. One of the biggest ones? The tendency to expect too little, and get just that.