Attentional Blink
Imagine you are a radar operator.
You have been tasked to look for two airplane types: A + B.
There are also C planes but they are too wet for the radar to detect.
Once you find an A or B plane, you will miss a subsequent A or B plane that passes.
This is called attentional blink.
The process of focusing deeply for a particular stimulus results in a gap (blink) in your attention.
Attentional blink happens daily in business.
Leaders looking for the stimulus behind a problem are elated once a stimulus is found.
This over-investment in the discovery of a stimulus quickly turns into meetings, action-planning, and solutions.
The problem is, your problem might have more stimuli.
The ensuing hours of strategizing and alignment are misguided because of attentional blink.
This is distinct from acting too hastily; you cannot see while blinking.
Practices which promote mindfulness modulate attentional blink.
You will still blink, but the general occurrence is significantly less.
Thoughtful leaders are more capable of navigating complex stimuli within business challenges.
If you were waiting for the business case to proactively and consistently cultivate mindfulness,
This is it.
You are now coffree to move about the cabin,
-Morning Cup