Overloaded Circuits: Why Smart People Underperform

HallowellHere is a summary of key points examined in a “classic” article written years ago (January 2005) by Edward M. Hallowell for Harvard Business Review and the HBR Blog Network. To read the complete article, check out the wealth of free resources, and sign up for a subscription to HBR email alerts, please click here.

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Frenzied executives who fidget through meetings, lose track of their appointments, and jab at the “door close” button on the elevator aren’t crazy–just crazed.

They suffer from a newly recognized neurological phenomenon that the author, a psychiatrist, calls attention deficit trait, or ADT.

It isn’t an illness; it’s purely a response to the hyperkinetic environment in which we live. But it has become epidemic in today’s organizations.

When a manager is desperately trying to deal with more input than he possibly can, the brain and body get locked into a reverberating circuit while the brain’s frontal lobes lose their sophistication, as if vinegar were added to wine. The result is black-and-white thinking; perspective and shades of gray disappear.

People with ADT have difficulty staying organized, setting priorities, and managing time, and they feel a constant low level of panic and guilt.

It is possible to control ADT by engineering one’s environment and one’s emotional and physical health. Make time every few hours for a “human moment”–a face-to-face exchange with a person you like.

Get enough sleep, switch to a good diet, and get adequate exercise. Break down large tasks into smaller ones, and keep a section of your work space clear. Try keeping a portion of your day free of appointments and e-mail.

Hallowell recommends that companies invest in amenities that contribute to a positive atmosphere.

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To read the complete article, please click here.

In his own words: “I am a child and adult psychiatrist with private practices in Sudbury, Mass as well as on the upper west side in New York City. Both practices operate under the name The Hallowell Center, where we offer diagnosis and a range of treatments for ADHD and learning problems in children and adults. I also am a writer and a speaker. I am married to Sue Hallowell, a social worker and a therapist. We have been married for 24 years and have 3 children, Lucy, now 23, Jack, 20, and Tucker, 17 (as of April, 2013).

“The major theme that runs through all my work is the magical power of the human connection, and the power of positive connections of all kinds. I also specialize in learning differences and have written books about how to deal best with attention deficit disorder, a condition that I regard as a potential gift, if it handled correctly. Having both ADHD and dyslexia myself, I am particularly qualified to help people with these conditions bring out their best.

“I welcome hearing from readers. Just send me an email to drhallowell@gmail.com or visit my website.”

I urge you to check out two of Hallowell’s books: CrazyBusy: Overstretched, Overbooked, and About to Snap! Strategies for Handling Your Fast-Paced Life (2007) and Shine: Using Brain Science to Get the Best from Your People (2011).

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