Overloaded Circuits: Why Smart People Underperform (HBR OnPoint Enhanced Edition)
by Edward M. Hallowell
Our Price: $6.50
Availability: Available for download now
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Edward M. HallowellEdition: Digital
Format: Download: PDF
Published: 2005-01-01
ISBN: N/A
Number of pages: 11
Publisher: Harvard Business Review
Book Reviews of Overloaded Circuits: Why Smart People Underperform (HBR OnPoint Enhanced Edition)
Book Review: Introduction into attention deficit trait or brain overloading
Summary: 5 Stars
Edward M. Hallowell is a psychiatrist and the founder of the Hallowell Center for Cognitive and Emotional Heat in Sudbury, Massachusetts. He is the author of several books. This article was published in the January 2005-issue of Harvard Business Review.
The author introduces a neurological phenomenon (attention deficit trait or ADT) which is caused by brain overload and which he believes is now epidemic in organizations. It is brought on by the demands on our time and attention that have exploded over the past two decades. In this article Hallowell offers an analysis of the origins of ADT and suggestions to manage it. First, he provides a short introduction into attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADD). Unlike attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADD), a neurological order that also has a genetic component, ADT springs entirely from the environment. Hallowell then continues with a short section on the brain. "... studies have shown that as the human brain is asked to process dizzying amounts of data, its ability to solve problem flexibly and creatively declines and the number of mistakes increases." So how can we manage ADT? "ADT can be controlled only by creatively engineering one's environment and one's emotional and physical health." Hallowell introduces several preventative measures which can help executives control their symptoms of ADT. The article is completed with a short section on what leaders can do to counteract ADT and harness employee brainpower. Suggestions are: reduction in the number of overlapping projects and initiatives; reward employees that focus and say "no" to overloading; review the number of support staff within their organization; invest in amenities that contribute to a positive atmosphere; and matching employees' skills to tasks. However, the author believes that the most critical step to addressing the problem of ADT is to name it.
Yes, I do like this article. It discusses a very real, unaddressed issue within modern organizations. I agree with the author in that organizations which are able to address attention deficit trait will prosper through "more productive, well-balanced, and intelligent work environments." There is a useful short sidebar that provides bullet-points to control ADT in general, at work, and when you feel overwhelmed. It is important to note that management of ADT is about more than just better time management by executives and the author introduces some useful suggestions. Highly recommended to (senior) executives, HR-personnel, and other people feeling the pressure in modern organizations.
Summary of Overloaded Circuits: Why Smart People Underperform (HBR OnPoint Enhanced Edition)
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. The author recommends that companies invest in amenities that contribute to a positive atmosphere.Business & Investing Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Audiobooks on Cassette
- Audiobooks on CD
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- e-Books
- Engineering
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Medicine
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Business & Investing Books
The Bin Ladens: An Arabian Family in the American Centuryby Steve Coll
Penguin Press HC, The; Published: 2008-04-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $21.00
Price in other shops:
The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbableby Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Random House; Published: 2007-04-17; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $15.90
Price in other shops:
Women & Money: Owning the Power to Control Your Destinyby Suze Orman
Spiegel & Grau; Published: 2007-02-27; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $13.68
Price in other shops:
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivityby David Allen
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 2002-12-31; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.23
Price in other shops:
Earth: The Sequel: The Race to Reinvent Energy and Stop Global Warmingby Fred Krupp, Miriam Horn
W. W. Norton; Published: 2008-03-12; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $15.42
Price in other shops:
The Trillion Dollar Meltdown: Easy Money, High Rollers, and the Great Credit Crashby Charles R. Morris
PublicAffairs; Published: 2008-03-03; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $13.77
Price in other shops:
StrengthsFinder 2.0: A New and Upgraded Edition of the Online Test from Gallup's Now, Discover Your Strengthsby Tom Rath
Gallup Press; Published: 2007-02-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $11.17
Price in other shops:
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don'tby Jim Collins
Collins; Published: 2001-10; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $12.98
Price in other shops:
The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Richby Timothy Ferriss
Crown; Published: 2007-04-24; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $11.45
Price in other shops:
Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisionsby Dan Ariely
HarperCollins; Published: 2008-02-19; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $13.39
Price in other shops:
Similar Books and other products
Driven To Distraction : Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder from Childhood Through Adulthoodby Edward M. Hallowell, John J. Ratey
Touchstone; Published: 1995-03-02; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.39
Price in other shops:
The Human Moment at Workby Edward M. Hallowell
Harvard Business Review; Published: 1999-01-01; Digital; Book
Best price: $6.50
ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Lifeby Judith Kolberg, Kathleen Nadeau
Routledge; Published: 2002-08; Paperback; Book
Best price: $13.49
Price in other shops:
Having Trouble with Your Strategy? Then Map It (HBR OnPoint Enhanced Edition)by Robert S. Kaplan, David P. Norton
Harvard Business Review; Published: 2000-10-01; Digital; Book
Best price: $6.50
The Childhood Roots of Adult Happiness: Five Steps to Help Kids Create and Sustain Lifelong Joyby Edward M. Md Hallowell
Ballantine Books; Published: 2003-08-26; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.86
Price in other shops:
Connect: 12 Vital Ties That Open Your Heart, Lengthen Your Life, and Deepen Your Soulby Edward M. Hallowell
Pocket; Published: 2001-04-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.49
Price in other shops:
Competing on Analytics (HBR OnPoint Enhanced Edition)by Thomas H. Davenport
Harvard Business Review; Published: 2006-01-01; Digital; Book
Best price: $6.50
Leading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail (HBR Classic) (HBR OnPoint Enhanced Edition)by John P. Kotter
Harvard Business Review; Published: 2007-01-01; Digital; Book
Best price: $6.50
Delivered from Distraction: Getting the Most out of Life with Attention Deficit Disorderby Edward M. Md Hallowell, John J. Md Ratey
Ballantine Books; Published: 2005-12-27; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.42
Price in other shops:
CrazyBusy: Overstretched, Overbooked, and About to Snap! Strategies for Handling Your Fast-Paced Lifeby Edward Dr Hallowell
Ballantine Books; Published: 2007-03-27; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.03
Price in other shops: