FROM COMMAND TO EMPATHY: Using EQ in the Age of Disruption by Avik Chanda & Suman Ghose

Author:Avik Chanda & Suman Ghose
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: null
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers India
Published: 2017-03-19T16:00:00+00:00

Below that, write numbers for each of the alphabets above. That is 1 below M, 2 below y, 3 below n and so on. Now, repeat this activity, but with one significant difference. Instead of writing out the whole sentence on a single line first and then the numbers in another single line below it, now write ‘M’ and then 1 below it, then write ‘y’ and then 2 below it, write ‘n’ and 3 below it, and so on, till you complete the sentence. Time this activity.

Unless you’re an outlier, we expect that the second activity (i.e., writing the sentence and the numbers in vertical, rather than linear, fashion) will take you around 20–30 per cent longer to complete, if not more. Now, ask yourself this—which of these approaches made you more comfortable? Also, in which one did the quality of the writing turn out better? You will almost certainly agree that the first approach is faster, more comfortable to execute and produces a better quality. This exercise is a good analogy of what multitasking does to us. When we split a finite amount of time allotted to us to doing too many incongruous activities, our focus and concentration levels suffer, and with it, our effectiveness and productivity.

Every now and then, we try to break away from this vicious circle by taking a vacation. But even leisure feels busy and we find ourselves in a constant ‘doing’ mode. Think of the clichéd question you hear among jet-set travellers—‘how many countries did you visit in your last European vacation?’ Chances are you made sure that all the Lonely Planet recommendations were ticked off your list! How many times have you felt tired instead of rejuvenated, after you are back from a break?

Living in Autopilot

Do you remember being very conscious of brushing your teeth this morning? No, you just did it automatically, right? Or can you recall in detail the drive or commute from your home to your workplace this morning? It’s probably a blur; you were thinking of the day ahead. The explanation behind this is pretty simple: Our brain has a lot to process, and whenever it finds something repetitive, it tends to store the ‘algorithm’ as a sort of program. That way, it reduces the cognitive load. So, every time we brush our teeth, the brain runs a ‘brush teeth’ program with the same actions playing out every time. The program runs in our subconscious mind.

When it comes to driving, some of it is subconscious (e.g., turning the ignition, putting on the seat belt, changing gears, etc.) but not all of it, especially given the state of traffic (and drivers!) on Indian roads. However, the automatic program running in the background helps us to open up our conscious brain for other activities not related to the job at hand. It enables us to think and do other things.

Isn’t it also the case that just like that morning drive to work, the whole day sometimes passes by quickly, in

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