Thanks goes out to Leon van Rensburg who is an amazing leader based out of Edmonton, Alberta (yes, that is in Canada) who ‘gets’ how to build High Performance Cultures – Leon sent in the request for me to write about: “How does a leader get more ‘white space’ in their calendar for creative thinking?”
Great question! In my first book, I wrote about “Cloud Time” which for me, is a way of saying, create space in your calendar with no agenda, no objective… Just you and your thoughts.
Where did the idea come from? I came to the realization several years ago that I was far more productive at my job, far more strategic, and a far better leader when I carved out time in each day and during the business week to goof off! I call it “cloud time.”
When you were a kid, did you ever lie flat out on a piece of grass and stare up at the clouds? You could see all sorts of shapes in the big, fluffy groups of cumulus nimbus overhead. Your friends would get in on the action and point out shapes and figures they saw. Our imaginations went wild!
Now that you are older and you think you are far too mature to goof off, and the pressures of the fancy job make you think you do not have time to let your brain wonder pointlessly, and get truly creative or solve a problem, issue or challenge that has been bugging you. “Life is far too serious for that!” you rationalize.
Have you ever noticed, however, how very difficult it is to solve complex problems while you are sitting at your desk? Yet, when you are standing in the shower—just standing there decompressing from a taxing day—answers to difficult problems come easily to you as if the water hitting you on the back of your tense neck has magical powers. The same thing happens to me when I am mowing the lawn, walking the dog, or washing my car. Weird, right? Not at all!
The funny part is that the answers have always been there, buried in the depths of our subconscious. The deepest recesses of our mind are a very powerful computer processor capable of solving the most complex problems with lightning speed. The issue, however, is that our conscious minds are so full of clutter with issues and stressors that we cannot hear the answers coming at us from the subconscious brain.
The answer is in creating “a quietness” in our minds so we can actually hear our own thoughts—the kind of quiet that comes when we are in the shower, or out for a run, or weeding the garden.
Mandated or organized cloud time for me comes in the daily form of getting up early when the house is quiet and just sitting by myself for about fifteen minutes. I don’t do anything except maybe sip a cup of tea. Next, I get another forty-five minutes or so of daily cloud time when I head out the door for a run by myself. A walk would do the same thing—the dog would love it too! Whatever you do, you will be blown away by the clarity you get when you get in the habit of carving out time every morning to do nothing. Think about nothing. Just be. Don’t force yourself to think. Just let it be and you will soon discover the subconscious will get messages through to you about innovative solutions and creative ideas.
For the next part, I know what you are going to say: “There is no hope in Hades that I am going to get away with having cloud time at work! You are truly smoking something! I have way too much stuff to do! My boss will have kittens!”
A long time ago, I had a boss that was a never satisfied, task master. I worked my tail off so I would not have to suffer the wrath of his tantrums about productivity, projects, and sales numbers. I started working harder—and longer hours. Still, he gave me more abuse because I was not solving problems and getting things done. One day, out of complete frustration, I got up from my cubicle and walked out of the office. I strolled across the street and into the park for a walk around the small lake there. My plan was to figure out what to do when I got back to the office to face an immediate firing squad.
While I was out goofing off, stuff, really good stuff, started flowing in my stressed-out mind. “Wow!” I thought, “This is unbelievable. I am a genius!” When I got back to the office, I discovered that the dictator did not even know I had been gone! I went into his office and shared my ideas with him. His face lit up. I think he may have even said something nice to me (although I doubt it). He asked me how I came up with the ideas? I told him I had just gone out for a walk. He replied by telling me to take walks more often. So, I did.
My cloud time has evolved into a regularly scheduled two-hour time slot once a week in the middle of the morning. Every week, I take time to goof off for two-hours. I go for a walk or a drive and just “be alone” with my subconscious innovation machine.
Cloud time has made me unbelievably productive in terms of problem-solving, developing new ideas, and innovative strategies.
For you, cloud time may look like a longer lunch or going for a walk after work. Whatever it is, do it! Get in the habit of getting up earlier, and at least once a week, goof off all by yourself for an hour or two. Once you do, stand back and be amazed!
Cloud time starts with you. No one else is going to mandate to you.
Challenge: Sit down with your calendar and carve out “Cloud Time” at least once a week. Stick to it and watch the creativity unfold in front of you! And… don’t let other, less important stiff bump off your cloud time.
Postscript: My tyrannical boss got fired a couple of years later when the company realized he was promoting my ideas as his own. I got promoted into his role.
Robert Murray is a Vancouver, BC based Business Strategy Consultant, #1 Best Selling Author, International Keynote Speaker, and TEC Top Speaker of the Year for 2018. For further advice, insight and inspiration on how to unlock your inner leader, connect with Robert on LinkedIn.
Click here to get his weekly Tuesday Tune Up blog posts straight to your inbox.
Tags: Cloud Time, Ideas, Innovation
