What can you do with 5 minutes? Earlier today, I had five minutes until I needed to leave and I had just finished something. It’s a weird amount of time because there is nothing you can really do with any intention. Yes, I could have left even earlier for my next appointment. I could have checked my email again. I could have read a listicle article on the internets about the five ways to cure distraction. Or, I could do what I did. I sat there and thought about stuff. No incoming stimulus to juggle, just time spent in mental digestion. I am a big advocate of a weekly power hour. Power hours are at least one hour each week, on the clock, where you set aside time to think. Sometimes, though, an hour can feel too long. If that is your gripe- “I don’t have the time, man!” – then try this. A power five minutes. Give yourself five minutes during the workday to exhale and think. Just five minutes. Here’s the benefit: Doing this will make you feel good.
With your teams, don’t get out of the way, do this instead
"Get out of the way!" I often hear some version of this sentiment when talking about building a culture to incentivize high performance teams. "You have to find the right people, equip them, and then get out of the way." People who talk about getting out of the way...