Want to increase the chances of going down the wrong alleys in conflict resolution? Don't take breaks. I have posted before about the need to put the problem out of your mind for a while to allow the brain to work on wise solutions. I was glad to see that Matt May guest-blogged about this process today at CNBC.
May writes in Why The Best Ideas Have Something Missing:
Neuroscientists now believe that the ability to engineer creative breakthroughs hinges on the capacity to synthesize and make connections between seemingly disparate things, and a key ingredient is time away from the problem. Experiments show that creative revelations come when the mind is engaged in an activity unrelated to the issue being addressed, and that pressure is not conducive to creative thought. Recent research demonstrates that the ultimate break — sleep — actually changes our mind’s perspective unconsciously. Information is consolidated by a process taking place in the hippocampus during sleep, enabling the brain to effectively clear itself and reboot, all the while forming new connections and associations. The result is new insight and the aha! feeling of the Eureka moment.
How might you incorporate sleep into your dispute resolution process? I doubt that naps would fly in most situations but how about scheduling so that a night or more occurs between sessions? If that is not possible, at least take some wake breaks. Don't you want to encourage "creative breakthroughs"?
Note: May's newest book was recently published; it's entitled In Pursuit of Elegance: Why the Best Ideas Have Something Missing. I hope to read it soon and will tell you about it.
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