Here’s an interesting exercise:
First, draw a straight, horizontal line on a paper. Like this:
Now, using that horizontal line as a midline, draw another line that represents your ideal day. Don’t copy me but here’s what mine looks like:
Okay, last step. Use a different colored pen to draw a second line over the first one. This one is how your current day/life usually goes. Here’s my current life in blue:
That exercise gives you a quick visual representation of the flow of your day, which strikes me as no-brainer to share with your direct reports. Give them the line test! And then ask:
- Are your days all above the midline? When do they cross it and what does that signify to you?
- How do the ideal and current lines compare?
- When are you interrupted?
- Is there time for you to do deep work?
- What can I (your manager) do to make your day’s flow more ideal?
I’m finishing up an ADHD coach training class and have spent the past few months steeped in neuroscience. I learned that ADHD is a deficit, or challenge, of interest. I learned what boredom is and how we all self-regulate (or not). While I do not have ADHD, I’ve learned so much about how brains work — and I have many ideas for how we might address neurodiversity at work. That line test is a great example of bringing workplace self-awareness to all kinds of employees.
(If you’re wondering WTF is going on with my lines, I think you’re looking at a lady without a lot of spontaneity in her life. Mostly this is a result of parenting (as it turns out, kids need a lot of structure). My ideal day would be one where I’m mostly untethered to a calendar, although you can see that I also need a plan to wake up and wind down. It’s no Rorschach test but it does make me wonder about how to arrange my schedule this fall!)
Do we even need managers anymore?
Um, yes. The answer is always yes.
I had a good laugh with a client last week about the idea that the entire tech industry has become kind of tired and uptight. This is probably a reflection of a weird economy but, also, the industry isn’t as young as it used to be. From Big Tech to established agencies, everyone’s doing more with less.
“Same problems, different day,” my client said.
If your company shows signs of cultural arthritis, let me suggest a solution: PROMOTE SOME NEW MANAGERS. New managers have energy! They want to try hard! Give your fatigued managers a break, invite them be strategic and visionary for a while, let the young guns take a turn.
The 29th cohort of So Now You’re a Manager will happen in February 2025 and I would love to train your new managers up with positive skills and fresh energy!
Last of all…
The more I learn, the more I realize that Plucky’s Manager Weeklies are very friendly tools for neurodivergent managers. These planners force you to limit priorities for the week, record new ideas separately from to-do list items and ground you in self-awareness.
MWs have been helping managers, neurodivergent or not, set up their weeks for over three years! Go check out Plucky Manager Weeklies here!
Happy summer!
xo Jen
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