Thursday, September 27, 2007
The Rocking Chair Syndrome
In my last entry, I talked about the "structure of attention" being biological.
While walking downtown for a break, Tess and I were talking about attention and the "rocking chair syndrome," which speaks to structural tension that leads to unresolvable conflict.
Here's how it goes. Pressure builds up in a problem area. We "rock forward" to take action to relieve the pressure and prevent outcomes we don't want. Think of dieting or putting a budget together or investing in business development.
Our action is successful in relieving some pressure and we unconsciously "rock backward" and relax a bit. Think of indulging in favorite foods or buying high tech gadgets not in our budget or enjoying current customers instead of building new business.
Alas, pressure builds yet again, and the cycle of rocking forward and backward repeats itself. Our challenge is to build structures that don't create the rocking chair syndrome -- and to do so takes clarity on where we're going and why.
I can tell my own rocking chair syndrome stories.
When I started running my own businesses, I used to put off my bookkeeping endlessly (always something "more important" to do). I was committed to a beautiful office environment. I frequently raked piles of paperwork into a box and tucked it away for what seemed like archaelogical digs when I returned my attention many months later.
The pressure would build until I could stand it no more. I would do a marathon session to catch up (rock forward) and would feel much better. Then, I would do the same thing over again (rock backward).
Finally, I clarified my strategic goals for my businesses -- and knowing I couldn't scale with my old system, with its tedious detective work during tax season, I went to work on new structures.
The vicious cycle of "rake and regret" made a graceful exit at last. Even with business growth and the entrance of yet a third entity to track this year (my father's rather messy estate), I never reach the frantic places I used to reach.
One of my medical school clients complained about a repeating rut his management team found itself in. The department had more than tripled in patient visits over a decade, yet the management team had not grown commensurately. They "rocked forward" to solve HR issues that became urgent and "rocked back" with relief when crises were resolved.
Addressing the structural tension led to recruiting a skillful HR manager, whose charter is to be a chief people developer, with an eye on the organization's strategy of a new paradigm of practicing medicine, and not just a policy whip.
If you're in the midst of the rocking horse syndrome, it's useful to ask "what" before "how" questions:
While walking downtown for a break, Tess and I were talking about attention and the "rocking chair syndrome," which speaks to structural tension that leads to unresolvable conflict.
Here's how it goes. Pressure builds up in a problem area. We "rock forward" to take action to relieve the pressure and prevent outcomes we don't want. Think of dieting or putting a budget together or investing in business development.
Our action is successful in relieving some pressure and we unconsciously "rock backward" and relax a bit. Think of indulging in favorite foods or buying high tech gadgets not in our budget or enjoying current customers instead of building new business.
Alas, pressure builds yet again, and the cycle of rocking forward and backward repeats itself. Our challenge is to build structures that don't create the rocking chair syndrome -- and to do so takes clarity on where we're going and why.
I can tell my own rocking chair syndrome stories.
When I started running my own businesses, I used to put off my bookkeeping endlessly (always something "more important" to do). I was committed to a beautiful office environment. I frequently raked piles of paperwork into a box and tucked it away for what seemed like archaelogical digs when I returned my attention many months later.
The pressure would build until I could stand it no more. I would do a marathon session to catch up (rock forward) and would feel much better. Then, I would do the same thing over again (rock backward).
Finally, I clarified my strategic goals for my businesses -- and knowing I couldn't scale with my old system, with its tedious detective work during tax season, I went to work on new structures.
The vicious cycle of "rake and regret" made a graceful exit at last. Even with business growth and the entrance of yet a third entity to track this year (my father's rather messy estate), I never reach the frantic places I used to reach.
One of my medical school clients complained about a repeating rut his management team found itself in. The department had more than tripled in patient visits over a decade, yet the management team had not grown commensurately. They "rocked forward" to solve HR issues that became urgent and "rocked back" with relief when crises were resolved.
Addressing the structural tension led to recruiting a skillful HR manager, whose charter is to be a chief people developer, with an eye on the organization's strategy of a new paradigm of practicing medicine, and not just a policy whip.
If you're in the midst of the rocking horse syndrome, it's useful to ask "what" before "how" questions:
- What outcome am I committed to creating?
- Given the outcome I seek, how will I get there?
It's simple but worth repeating. When things feel untenable, it's helpful to ensure our process is in service of our desired outcomes -- and not a rocking chair syndrome that simply relieves a little pressure (over and over, but with no forward momentum!).
Labels: Robert Fritz, rocking chair syndrome, structural tension
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