Do you as a leader sometimes find yourself caught in cycles of overthinking?
Do you take a long time to make a decision? Over analysing and researching every option, endlessly deliberating, reading reviews, calculating and over thinking it?
Maybe you worry. Reading into the smallest of details, agonising over how others will react. Worrying about a future that may never eventuate?
Overthinking can be linked to mental burnout, depression and anxiety. Chronic mental worry can also lead to coronary problems and suppressed immune functioning.
Organisationally overthinking can halt decisions, create stagnation in projects and may create bottlenecks for your team and/or other collaborating teams.
In this article we share 7 ways to shift and blast through analysis paralysis to achieve more momentum and better results in your leadership.
7 Strategies to Overcome Analysis Paralysis
1. Develop an ACTION Bias: Over thinking can halt progress and create bottlenecks for your team as you get stuck in “analysis paralysis”. In mentoring sessions with leaders we recommend that you use the 30% rule. This means to act, respond or decide something 30% sooner and faster. The second strategy elaborates on this.
2. Go for Progress not Perfection: With our leadership mentees prone to over analysis we recommend they follow the 80% decision rule.
This means that when something – an idea, project, thought, email – is 80% good enough then it is actioned. The project is started, the message delivered, the email is sent and so on. This builds the muscle of action and over time becomes a habit of positive momentum and continuous progress with refinements.
3. Take time out: Over thinking can occur when the mind gets trapped in minute details and loses sight of the bigger picture. Getting out of the office and going for a walk can give you a greater perspective on the situation. After or during the time away, you can ask yourself-
- In the grand scheme of things, how important is this really?
- Is this person, event or thing really worth sacrificing my wellbeing and health over?
4. Use the Stop-Change method: This is a concept developed by Dr. Joe Dispenza. Worry is the mind running off into the future and imagining the worst-case scenario. Worry and over thinking can lower your energy level and may make you feel stuck or hopeless and depressed. The Stop-Change principle works by catching the worrying thoughts before they become out of control.
You simply notice when you are having limiting thoughts and say aloud “STOP” and “CHANGE”. You can also think about the opposite or a positive thought or imagine yourself in a park or beach instead.
5. No Wrong Decisions: Have the mindset that “there is no one way” instead of what is the “one right way”. In her book “Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway”, Susan Jeffers explains the concept of there not being a wrong decision as every path has both growth potential and will provides lessons.
6. Develop an Optimism bias: Instead of imagining all that may go wrong (a pessimism bias) practise imagine the best possible scenario instead of the worst. Use these reflection questions
- What’s the best thing that could happen if I do this?
- How would that make me feel?
- What are the potential upsides of doing this?
7. Know your Triggers and Change them: This is a deeper level strategy we use for leaders who undergo transformational coaching with us. It involves an Honest and real look at your patterns for decision making and information processing, asking questions like:
- When do I go into Fear and shut off to possible new actions, strategies or options?
- What do I avoid the most as a leader (and in life)? How does this impact my results and my relationships (personal and professional)?
- What am I most afraid of and how does this limit me and my team?
- How does fear prevent me from pivoting and innovating – my team, department or my business?
The final step is to find the Root Cause of these limitations and fears, then replace your triggers with positive mindsets and rewards.
Although, this is deeper and more challenging work, we find that the results will be truly transformational for both you, your team and client relationships.
All the best using these strategies as you out of Analysis paralysis and into more success.
If you would like to uncover and replace limiting patterns in your leadership thinking then reach out to us and discover how Leadership Coaching can help you.
If you would like to assess your current strengths and acceleration points as a senior leader or founder then apply for your complimentary Leadership strategy session – see below.