Food for thought....

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.”  – Virginia Woolf

You are a well of knowledge and your expertise has no bottom, simply lower the bucket and the reserves are plentiful. A simple request is made that requires your attention and you think of your well, but suddenly emptiness fills your body. What is this empty fog blocking your path to the well, a feeling you haven’t felt since....*theatrical build up*….you were last hungry. So what? You eat some food and all is well again in the thunder dome that hosts your mightiest tool. That may be so but I’d like you to consider the findings of Daniel Kahneman (Nobel-winning psychologist/brain tinkerer) on workings of the mind, specifically findings of decision making in judicial proceedings.

To Summarize: They monitored Judges throughout the day and how they determined decisions for cases of parole. They granted parole 35% of the time and the default position was denial (surprise). Here is where it got interesting as they monitored the decision making around their breaks, likely when delicious judging food was consumed. After the break the resulting rate was 65% approval and as time progressed to the next break the approval rate dwindled to near 0.

Now we would like to think that since we are beings of higher thought capable of complex decision making and internet-shattering twitter comments, this could not apply to us. We live and work in a fast paced, on demand and quick to decide the fate of others world. This often results in the dismissal of such trivial matters as fuel for our higher functions to be at their best. Now consider the impact that the judges behaviour on parole cases translates into your day to day. It is a great opportunity to reflect and apply a concept that may shape change in how you interact with others.

Think about timing: If you schedule a meeting and are going to pitch a fantastic product which you hope to close a sale, consider if the person has eaten. As an example, you may want to try and avoid meetings of importance in and around lunch time. Unsurprisingly you may get lured into this time as they say ‘it’s all I have open’ but think about their secret desire to get rid of you and devour a burger. Alternatively, you can arm yourself with the business world’s most powerful elixir, a coffee for both of you.

Monitor your energy: This is simple; you have internal and external cues guiding you as to when it is time for a break. Whether you are creating a finger painting or developing quarterly sales forecast, your best work will materialize if you are energized.

Avoid Heavy Junk Meals: The midday feast after a project completion is relished by many a worker. A chance to revel in the early delights of bulk Chinese food is hard to resist, but if you moderate you can benefit. Let us put the obvious waste line factor aside, consuming large quantities of poor quality food will create a post thinking crash. Keep yourself sharp and avoid from becoming easily swayed into bad decisions due to your food coma.

If you have some thoughts on how to better manage decision making and food breaks please feel free to share. In the meantime go grab a bite and deliver a masterful performance.

(Source shout-out: Daniel Kahneman & Julian Powe)