PhotoCredit: Coffee
I sang lead vocals in a band when I was in high school. It sounds a lot cooler than it was. I mean, I thought I was pretty cool at the time, but (#realtalk) I wasn’t.
At one point the band thought we should add a little cowbell percussion into the mix. Something I could “play” as I sang. Sounded fun to me. I embraced it 110% as I do most things. Well, for a solid minute...it was rather quickly determined that we didn’t actually need cowbell. We definitely didn’t need me playing cowbell.
Singing while banging out a rhythm is hard. Especially hard for someone who lacks natural rhythm. Will Farrell and I share the same gift.
I attempted a similar rhythmic feat the other day while on a board call. These are monthly meetings where we conduct a high level review of the key strategic priorities for the company. It requires your brain to jump from topic to topic - holding space for the new information that comes from the presenters and from the questions your fellow directors ask.
You learn to get great at reading massive board packs, excellent at listening and quite ninja about asking questions. If I have learnt anything from being a director it’s been how to ask a good question. That, and that multi-tasking really is a myth.
Even simple multi-tasking. I am not trying to do calculus while a paper is presented. The mere act of silencing my phone, as a call attempted to interrupt the meeting, stopped me from hearing what was being said.
The problem is we need to do a little multi-tasking in long meetings. The science on optimal brain functioning, as I have been taught, suggests that 90 minutes is about all we are good for. We need a break from intense focus at that point to literally reboot our brain. A break on that cadence is difficult to coordinate with a complex agenda so I end up in brain-management mode. I know that every 90 minutes or so my brain needs to regroup and I consciously shift-gears for five minutes. Sometimes it’s impossible, that’s what caffeine is for. Having a snack will divert your brain and not your focus. Doodling or sketching your meeting notes also helps as it activates other parts of your brain. I have also found drinking cold water refreshing for mind and body. That last one might just be me!
My favorite, though, is the tried and true "walk and talk". Most of us can multi-task that combination. It has become harder now that we are all on camera. It can look a little odd. So, I have started declaring it to the group, saying, “I’m turning my camera off for five minutes so I can do some steps.” This is a pro-move that we can all integrate into our meetings and more broadly our daily working routines.
Have a think about what might work for you. There are a number of things that you can do that require very low brain functioning that can be done in tandem with being fully engaged in a meeting. The trick is to understand what those are for you. For me, cowbell is not one of them.