Less Is More

Many BKBG Shareholders understand that fewer products can be more effective than having every inch of wall and floor space covered with products. That was one of the lessons Rob Best taught us at a BKBG Annual Conference. When customers are presented with too many options, they shut down and decide not to decide. They simply leave your showroom confused and tired.

If less is more when it comes to the amount of product features in a showroom, do the same principles apply to the amount of work that can be accomplished in a day? If you work less, can you get more done? An article in Scientific American, Why Your Brain Needs More Downtime finds that “mental breaks increase productivity, replenish attention, solidify memories and encourage creativity.”

How can you work less when there is so much more to do? COVID forced many BKBG Shareholders to initially reduce their teams and now the difficulty in hiring qualified team members has taught everyone to be lean. That requires doing more with less. When you think about what you and your staff do every day, how much time is spent processing information as opposed to taking care of customers, prospecting for new clients and actually finalizing contracts for new projects? Everyone suffers from information overload. A recent Lexus Nexus survey found that more than 50% of white-collar workers spend more than half their workday receiving and managing information rather than using that information to be more productive and effective.

How can you avoid having your brain say no more and not get caught in the avalanche of information overload? David Brendel offered five suggestions in a HBR blog.

Daydreaming is good! Do it often. Neuroscience research finds that the brain remains active when the mind wanders resulting in enhanced perception, attention and cognition. Additionally, research found that daydreaming is essential to learn, solve problems and set goals. “This may help to explain why some of our best ideas come when we are in the shower, not sitting at a computer,” writes Brendel. (Is that not great sales fodder to explain the experiences that your power showers, soaker tubs, steam systems, et.al deliver to customers and why they need them?).

Preparing for meetings and presentations is not productive. Obsessing about what you are going to say to a prospective client, or the minute details of your PowerPoint presentation can be counterproductive. Instead, consider thinking about almost anything else as the presentation approaches to help reduce the stress.

Don't obsess over key decisions. Depending on the issue, it may be more effective to spend less time making key decisions provided you are focusing on bigger picture issues. When you get bogged down in the minutia, you tend to lose sight of the forest.

Learn how to breathe. Many BKBG Shareholders don’t have time to take a Yoga class in the middle of the day. Consider instead taking some of the benefits Yoga and meditation offer to help you to think more clearly during the day. You may benefit from periods of rhythmic controlled breathing for a minute or two while at work and try to slow your breathing to take deeper and longer breaths.

Work less. Research finds that even the most accomplished individuals cannot work longer than 5 hours at a time. Consider taking several short breaks during the day to recharge your batteries. Also, take a day off once in a while to give your brain a rest.