Your Secret Weapon To Mastering Delegation

Your Secret Weapon To Mastering Delegation

Recently, it hit me: Brilliance Extraction makes you more mindful. In the process of Brilliance Extraction, you learn to observe your thoughts and document them. You then get much better at transferring the expertise and wisdom (aka “brilliance”) including mastering delegation of tasks which you exclusively held in your brain.

In other words, mindfulness is a powerful “weapon” we use in Brilliance Extraction. With it, you will be mastering delegation on tasks you couldn’t delegate before.

Let’s break that thought down step-by-step.

First Off: What Is Mindfulness?

“Mindfulness is a state of active, open attention to the present. This state is described as observing one’s thoughts and feelings without judging them as good or bad.”

Psychology Today

Mindfulness a Key Tool For Becoming Aware Of Habit Loops

Recently, I read a summary of a book entitled “Unwinding Anxiety: New Science Shows How to Break the Cycles of Worry and Fear to Heal Your Mind” by Judson Brewer. The author cites a 2010 Harvard University study that found we live on autopilot about 50% of the time. The autopilot is essential for us to function in our daily lives. Can you imagine what it would be like if we had to relearn everything every day? Relearn everything from tying our shoelaces to driving our car? 

We form habit loops by performing actions the same way over and over. The brain hardwires this information. While that is important for us to function, there is another side to it. Some of the habit loops don’t serve us well. Anxiety can be one of them. One of the book’s key messages is, “Mindfulness is a key tool in untangling anxious habit loops.” In other words, we become aware of our habit loops.

My “Aha” Moment

Suddenly, I put two and two together. Brilliance Extraction leads to increased mindfulness. How so? When we watch our thoughts we begin to understand our autopilot.

When we learn something new, we are initially aware of the new knowledge, skill, or insight. For example, as a kid, we learn to tie our shoelaces. Then we do it automatically. We no longer think about instructions (which we needed initially), such as making “bunny ears” with our laces to tie a knot that stays in place. We have become subconsciously competent with this task. 

The exact process happens with many things we do in our work. We just do it. We don’t even realize all the thoughts that run through our minds to do it the way we do it. 

The autopilot makes teaching what we do so well (our “brilliance”) hard. We have to become aware of what exactly we do so we can pass it on to others. Typically, we are aware of some of what we do. Yet, we miss many insights that create the quality of work we do ourselves. That is what causes us to think, “I better do it myself. It is too hard to teach. If I want it done right, I better do it myself.”

To overcome the hurdle to success with training and delegating, we need to become mindful. We have to observe our thoughts and document them. A critical component of Brilliance Extraction is: Become aware of the thoughts that run through your mind to perform a task or solve a problem. Pretent that an external observer watches your thoughts and the actions that results from them.

Dr. Stephie

Especially in the beginning, that can be hard. It takes practice to develop that habit and discipline. With support, that is a lot easier. Over time, you become a detective for your brilliance. That is how one of my clients put it, “Stephie, you have made me into a Brilliance Extraction Detective!” Cool!

By the way, because much of your expertise and wisdom has become subconscious, you will be amazed to discover how much brilliance you have!

I’m Curious

I invite you to watch your thoughts today. What are you discovering?

Dr. Stephie

P.S.: I appreciate you commenting and sharing this with others. Thank you!

Stephie Althouse

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