Mia Millette is the CEO at Skyline Technology Solutions, a full-service IT integrator and enterprise solutions provider.
Have you ever had an “aha” moment when taking a shower or solved a problem magically upon waking up in the morning?
This has happened to me more times than I can count, and I have always been curious about this phenomenon. This is the power of “taking a pause” to unlock innovation and productivity—also known as “mental incubation.” As a business leader, I’ve learned that slowing down to go fast allows me, as well as my team, to perform better.
Let’s talk a little more about mental incubation, how leaders need to model a culture of rest and some basic steps you can take now to improve the creativity of your team.
Mental Incubation
In psychology, incubation refers to the unconscious processing of problems when they are set aside for a period of time that may lead to insights. In business, incubation can take many forms—e.g., stepping away from your computer, attending a conference, taking a course to learn something new or taking a vacation.
I frequently walk away from a problem, knowing the solution will come to me when the time is right, even if I forget about it for a while. While sticking with a problem until it is solved may seem like a more productive way to resolve issues, letting an idea percolate can often lead to a more creative result. I have sometimes felt like I was failing for meandering and not taking the most direct path to my solution. Often, however, when coming back to a problem, I had a fresh perspective and was better able to complete the task.
As a programmer in the earlier years of my career, this was often the case. You sometimes would just box yourself into the problem and not see a way out. I found walking away and also talking out loud to a colleague about the problem often brought me to a solution that was right in front of my eyes, but my brain wouldn’t let me get there.
The Role Of Leadership In Promoting A Culture Of Rest
Ever since the pandemic, work-life balance has been a front-and-center topic in the workplace. Last year alone, 65% of workers reported experiencing burnout. How can we help our employees feel rested enough to cultivate innovation?
First, we need to understand the importance of rest.
The reason I work is so that I can vacation with my family and travel around the world. I have always prioritized taking a few vacations a year. In fact, I actually feel anxious without having a few trips planned ahead of time. Knowing I have dedicated breaks on my calendar keeps me focused on my work as I look forward to the reward of resting.
Some people struggle with stepping away from work or scheduling time away for fear of what will happen while they’re gone or what they’re likely to come back to. As leaders, our responsibility is to model behavior for our employees. A powerful proverb repeated in the movie The Shining often plays through my head, and I share it frequently with people: “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”
When I hear someone say they have too much work on their plate to take time off, it tells me they haven’t prioritized the importance of rest and recovery. Taking the time to pause and rest allows you to zoom out of the micro day-to-day tasks, think with a macro perspective and be more creative in your work.
As a CEO, I often see employees return after a break with fresh perspectives, new energy for old tasks and a much healthier mindset. I recently had an employee come back from a conference re-energized by what they saw happening in our market. The timing wasn’t great for them to be away, but I had to think big picture for the employee and the company on the benefits of stepping away, gaining new insights and perspective and coming back ready to inject that new energy and optimism into the company.
As a leader, your responsibility is to normalize and prioritize encouraging breaks for your team. Making it a foundational part of your company culture will improve your entire staff’s well-being, which ultimately boosts creativity and productivity at work.
Practical Tips For Strategic Disengagement
Disengaging from the frenzy at work can be challenging. Let’s break down two types of breaks a team member can take and how to get started:
• The Walk Away: Determine ahead of time how long you want to grind through a problem before you take a break. I recommend stepping away after an hour or two of problem-solving and then revisiting it the next day. Even a break as short as 10 minutes can help the brain incubate and better solve problems.
• Purposely Planning Your PTO: Most companies provide paid time off. However, as of 2022, 61.3% of employees feel guilty about taking it. Again, as leaders, we can do more to help our employees feel comfortable about taking breaks from work. I suggest you purposefully schedule at least 50% of your time off at the beginning of the year as something to look forward to. Planning ahead also helps you plan your work around the trip, ensuring you have things buttoned up as much as you can before you go.
If your team needs more “aha” moments, take a moment to reflect on if they have enough time to pause and rest. Taking deliberate time off and walking away from persistent challenges can enhance our team members’ decision-making abilities, creativity and overall mental health, ultimately contributing to greater success and innovation within our organizations. When we empower our employees to stop and incubate over issues and challenges, they will develop problem-solving skills that can drive growth.
The article is over now—sounds like a good time for that break.
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