Adaptability starts here: Find your way back to your optimal zone
In this last stretch of the year, I see leaders & their teams either in overdrive to the point of burnout; or in a state of overwhelm and utter disengagement.
So I thought I’d share this map I custom-built* to help my clients recognise when the state they’re in is unproductive - and find their way back to balance.
*Custom-built doesn’t mean I made this up 😇 - this is grounded in neurobiology i.e. the science of how our brain and nervous system regulate stress, arousal and emotional responses.
One word of caution: each and every one of us cycles in micro ways through all three zones every day. That’s normal.
You might be sailing happily in your “optimal zone”, feeling pretty balanced and present - and it’s enough for a colleague’s comment to annoy you and send you straight into the red zone. Conversely, one of your frustrating stakeholders might be blocking your initiative yet again - and that might send you into a state of disempowerment and disengagement in the yellow zone.
The goal is not to always and forever be in the optimal zone - that’s an impossibility. Resilience & adaptability means that we know when we left the green zone - and we’re able to find our way back . (In psychology we call it “back into the window of tolerance”).
So here are three pointers for you:
Become intimately familiar with your own signs - and learn how to act on them.
If you lead a team or organisation, recognise how your own state colours the state of your people. Understanding & owning your impact is one of your core responsibilities.
Conversely, you might also absorb the emotional energy of your people & the organisation. Reflect and separate “your stuff” from “others’ stuff”.
This sounds obvious an yet it is SO tricky to practice. And here’s what’s making it even trickier: back-to-back meetings!! I like to show my clients a scan of our brains in back-to back meetings. Do you notice how by that third meeting our brains are on fire (cue: high stress spikes, low self-awareness)?
The quickest way to know your own signs is to pay attention to your physiological reactions.
For example, if I feel a rush of blood to the head and my throat constricting, I know it’s a clear sign I’ve been triggered - and it’s the worst possible time to write that email or make that phone call, as much as I may burn to do so.
I also know that my way back into green involves moving my body, so emotions can circulate through my system and rebalance.
Recognise when there’s a mismatch or overlap between you and your team.
Especially if you’re ‘red on red’, step away. Time out, take the heat down and only then re-engage.
If your team are in the lethargic zone, a rah-rah “let’s do this!” war cry might fall flat and even backfire. Instead, try small and consistent jolts of energy by focusing on low hanging fruit and quick wins.
Even if you’re in your optimal zone, don’t try to reason with people who are in the red. You first need to help them regulate.
If you or your people are stuck for too long in the pressure cooker or lethargy zones, pause everything.
Taking more action in this zone is counter-productive. You are likely treading water, damaging relationships or shooting yourself in the foot.
Take time to find your way back to the green zone, especially if you want to launch something new. This is the zone of safety & connection, where you and your people are likely to see new possibilities and rekindle hope.
Stay fierce, curious & adaptable!
Alina