From the battle over hybrid working to our relationship with technology to creating thriving cultures, we seem to have stopped looking for the right intensity. Or worse, believe that it is unachievable.
How many of you when asked, “how are you?” quickly reply, “oh, busy” without thinking.
Just as “busyness” is often a state of mind or a habit we have developed, so can intensity. Being busy everyday feels intense. Being productive requires intensity.
Intensity is defined as an “extreme degree of strength, force, energy, or feeling.” Intensity therefore needs effort.
Let’s take office intensity as one example. In the debate about WFH v hybrid v office-based working, the term ‘office intensity’ is often used when ‘office attendance’ would be more suitable. I am not talking about this.
Observational research has found that high performing teams are moulded sooner and achieve great things for longer if working physically side by side. Ideally within touching distance of each other. This kind of intensity is often noisy and exciting, bordering on addictive, to be a part of.
However, knowledge workers are unlikely to solve difficult problems and navigate complexity unless they also have quiet space in which to do deep thinking, initially alone. This will be using significant energy (to fuel the brain) so is also working with intensity to complete the task even when working in silence, alone.
In short, your aim is to create intensity but be sure for what intent. This will help to design the right environment for intensity to be achieved. The debate about attendance misses the mark yet at the same time points to a barrier to achieving real, sustainable intensity.
Now let’s think about the ubiquitous panel discussion. The vast majority are poorly curated events hosted in highly lit spaces, focussed more on the egos of the panel or moderator than the needs of the audience. The result: low energy discussions that fail to educate or inspire have proliferated in recent years.
Better planned events where the panel and the audience feel as one rather than apart could be one solution. This can be achieved by physical design of the event or choice of space. It just takes a bit more effort, but the results will be worth it. Having the panel sitting amongst the audience or at least in the round should make everyone feel a part of the event. Making the area you are using feel intimate and smaller with better lighting or physical partitions will boost energy levels even further.
Busyness stops intensity. When we are busy, we ‘don’t have time’ to do the things – clearing our minds, resting, planning, building connections through meaningful communication with others, growing a community – that are consistently needed as the foundations to achieving intensity.
Intensity is far harder to achieve today than any time in human history. Fear of missing out, social media, smart phones, open-plan offices, constant low-level communication, endless distractions, unrelenting diary commitments, that new ‘must watch’ ‘binge-worthy’ TV series…
If you want to be truly brilliant at something it will take effort and intensity to achieve. What barriers exist that make you constantly ‘busy’? What do you need to change to realise that intensity is achievable even in the modern world?