4 February 2010
Recovery Time
Posted by Moss under: Working Successfully with Others .
Sooner or later you will want to either kill your partner, leave without warning, or just blow up the enterprise. Sometimes you will feel focused, energized, directed, or enthusiastic. You and your partner are connected in a great initiative. Other times you will feel confused, exhausted, or depressed. You and your partner are in the pits.
Demands may come at you one after the other like ocean waves pounding at a ships hull. You may feel like everything is about to capsize. Well, guess what, you’re not invincible or indestructible. At some point you will break down and become an impaired partner. You will be overstressed and burnt out. At this point, there may not be recovery time. You or your partnership will be in danger of self destruction.
Research on high performance indicates that sustained success requires frequent recovery periods. There are four stages you can use to locate your partnership:
1. High Performance
2. Stress
3. Burn Out
4. Recovery
High performance feels great but it is difficult to sustain. You and your partner need to take recovery breaks every day. After 90-120 minutes of focused action, attention, and concentration, intelligence dwindles and errors intensify. A 15-minute recovery time can substantially renew your energy, focus, and intellectual functioning.
Time outs aren’t just desirable, they are necessary. You need to step away from the issues at hand, catch your breath, and relax. Maybe you can’t both take a recovery break at the same time. No matter what, take turns. Renew and Refresh.
Bottom Line
- Partnerships can’t sustain high performance without recovery periods.
- Push too hard and stress, breakdowns, and exhaustion will show up.
- Recovery periods lead to increased energy, intelligence, and problem solving.
- Make sure your partner is taking recovery time.
