Never Underestimate the Power of a Shower

A client opened his coaching session today with "I had the most incredible thought in the shower this morning ..."  I waited, remembering to breathe and keep my eyebrows up.

As he proceeded to describe his idea about what he could do to understand his staff at a human level, which will in all likelihood catapult his leadership potential to greater heights, I exhaled with relief.

How many great ideas come to us in the shower?  Or while we are engaged in a seemingly mindless activity?

Compare it to how many great ideas come when we are focused on finding THE PERFECT SOLUTION, staring at a blank screen or whiteboard, frozen in time.  I got nuthin' ... is what everyone sitting around the silent conference table is thinking.

Because the HR Manager would need CPR if anyone suggested community showers be made available so the team could get inspired, what else can we do at work to stop looking so hard for the solution and take a PFC (Pre-frontal Cortex) break?

Our brain only needs a few minutes of non-focused attention to create a space for the creative solution, the Aha! thought to present itself.

What might be some small signs to you that it's time to take a mental shower?  What does your mental shower look like while you are at work?

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