Today’s Tuesday Reading is from Allison Czapracki, Manager of Learning Environments and Tools at he University of California, Berkeley and a MOR program alum. Allison may be reached at [email protected] or via LinkedIn.
Discovering Presence
Before MOR, I hadn’t given much thought to Presence, except while practicing yoga or meditation. Sure, I did my best to pay attention and engage in meetings and interactions, but at some point, the temptation to divert my attention elsewhere often arose. For example, I would prepare my updates while another team member gave theirs during our biweekly standup. (The irony isn’t lost on me that as a manager, those meetings are largely for my benefit—a snapshot of what my team is working on and any blockers I can help them remove).
The Turning Point
In comes Presence. While at MOR workshops, my phone stowed away, I felt the spell of constant digital connection being broken. Even though I wouldn’t consider myself a heavy mobile device user, these glowing rectangles and the alluring apps inhabiting them are carefully designed to keep us scrolling—ultimately derailing the quest to allocate time and energy to more meaningful and fulfilling pursuits. At bedtime, I would often find myself sending one last text message or looking up one more thing on my phone, and I would scroll through my email before getting out of bed—when time is extra precious if I’m trying to be out the door by 5:30 to hit the pool.
Digital Minimalism
After my first workshop, I stumbled upon Cal Newport’s Digital Minimalism and was awestruck by the many thought-provoking questions and practices it introduced. I’ve started asking myself whether the digital activities I engage in—both during and outside of work—are optimized activities that support what I truly value. I also regularly reflect on what I truly value. Next, I drafted my philosophy of technology use—an activity Newport advocates for everyone!
Practicing Presence
I’ve implemented several practices to cultivate presence in both my professional and personal life:
- Closing email during meetings.
- Keeping my phone away from my desk.
- Setting the Screen Time feature, which provides smartphone usage statistics and designates limits for time-consuming apps. I was shocked to be alerted that I spent nearly an hour in the Messages app on the first day!
- Muting active group texts.
- Deleting the Reddit app.
- Keeping a small notebook with me nearly all the time, especially when I am working, to take notes or document things I want to look up later.
- I recently left my phone behind on a five-hour hike. This felt liberating, not anxiety-invoking, and I realize it’s a luxury to be able to do this.
- Charging my phone in a different room while sleeping. I set “Downtime” from 10pm – 5am daily and am presented with incessant prompts if I wish to override.
The Impact
Though my compliance hasn’t been perfect, these actions have allowed me to be more intentional with my time and more accountable to myself. I’m engaging in richer, synchronous conversations, even if the total number of interactions with an individual is fewer. I’ve rediscovered how much I enjoy handwriting vs. tapping or typing. I read every night before bed. I feel less rushed and skip fewer morning workouts. And I’m sleeping longer every night! Which ultimately allows me to enter each day more refreshed and, thus, with an enhanced capacity for presence.
What habits will you change in your life to become more present?
How often do you feel you are fully present with others in the workplace?
Last week, we asked which best describes your personal mix of leading, managing, and doing in your work:
- 32% said I’m happy with the balance between the three.
- 54% said I want to spend more time leading.
- 7% said I want to spend more time managing.
- 7% said I want to spend more time doing.
Congratulations to the one in three of us who are happy with how we have balanced leading, managing, and doing. As our work evolves, it requires disciplined intentionality to evolve that balance as needed. For the more than 1 out of every 2 of us who would like to spend more time leading, last week’s reading reminds us to step back and enable our teams to do the work they do best. Listen, draw them out, connect resources, understand their goals and ambitions, share your vision, and be open to feedback.