2019: A SPACE ODYSSEY
ARTICLE BY DEREK DRAPER, CHIEF EXECUTIVE - CDP LEADERSHIP CONSULTANTS & AUTHOR OF CREATE SPACE: HOW TO MANAGE TIME AND FIND FOCUS, PRODUCTIVITY AND SUCCESS
We’re used to feeling stressed and overwhelmed from endless calls on our attention and time. But if we want to perform optimally, and reach our full potential, we must learn to pause and we need to push back against the tide and create space in our lives to; think, relate and act on a deeper level. Learning to focus, manage time, and take control is the first step in developing and excelling.
The key assumptions that lie behind the idea of “creating space” are that; modern life - particularly at work - fills any space indiscriminately. This means that most leaders feel overwhelmed and not in control of their own destiny. A leader must, therefore, consciously push back and create space in order to succeed, because such space is vital for deeper self-insight and sense of purpose, which in a business context leads to better strategic and creative thinking, richer relationships, delivering what really matters and sustainable performance and growth. You can’t deliver your best or really grow as a leader and create the conditions for wellbeing, unless you first create space. As HR leaders, dealing with the rigours of the everyday, you won’t be able to really maximise the potential of your people, unless you bring some of this thinking into your daily work. So here is a model to follow: Space to Think, is about having the intellectual and mental freedom to think and reflect in a deep way about yourself and the world. Space to Connect, refers to developing deeply meaningful, authentic and creative relationships with those around you; Space to Do, relates to prioritising and then having a productive and meaningful impact on the world; and Space to Be, encourages us to remember that we are human beings - not human doings - and to step back and ensure that we are building the kind of life we really want to live.
Of course, all these different types of space interact with each other in complex, infinite ways - where we are, who we are with and what we perceive of the situation. We aren’t just creating space to ‘fit more in'; we are actively creating our own personal version of space, the place(s) within which we live, and how we live in them. Together, this creates the conditions for sustainable wellbeing. But isn’t the idea of “creating space” a bit “airy fairy”? How does it relate to the “coal-face” of business? Well, everything - it’s the key to combining a maximising of productivity with a maximising of wellbeing. Two things that are not contradictions - or even separate - but intrinsically linked, if either is to be sustainable. But don’t take my word for it. The latest scientific research shows that the key ideas in ‘Create Space’ are the foundation stones for happiness and wellbeing: Rich relationships and being part of a healthily, functioning team; having meaningful goals and a sense that you are achieving them and feeling in control of your own destiny. Working with a global leadership consultancy, I wanted to see if their data backed up my thinking. The company had assessed around 50,000 leaders over the last twenty-five years. I analysed 1,000 of these assessments at random and found they contained more than 4,500 development areas. Well over 90 percent of all global executives assessed - and by implication, global executives
16 | thehrdirector | MAY 2019
SPECIAL REPORT
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