I have had a busy couple of weeks. I was a speaker at an international frontline managers leadership summit, I was invited to speak to a department in a telecommunications company, I had several networking meetings, and I embarked on a Mentoring certification programme. My brain loved all the interactions. It felt a buzz in connecting with other people, processing our interactions, and proposing feedback to me based on the interactions.

Though my conversations were with different people from completely different industries, there was a common thread in all my conversations. What started as a hypothesis is becoming more real with every conversation, discussion, and follow-up that I have. That common thread is awareness.

I am also currently reading two books. They are both holding my attention and anticipation equally because they complement each other. The first is by Margaret J, Wheatley on Leadership and the New Science. The second is Peak Mind by Amishi Jha. Jha is a neuroscientist and Peak Mind is based on neuroscience. About how our brains have evolved from that of our forefathers BUT can still ‘default’ to behaviours of our forefathers. A cause-and-effect view.

Leadership and the New Science steps beyond the ‘everyday’ brain and approaches all interactions from the viewpoint of quantum physics. Stepping away from the cause-and-effect world of the ‘everyday’ brain to the cause-an-effect world of quantum physics. I feel caught between two worlds. I get them both because as humans I know we are more capable than we realise. But my dissonance is in finding a practical approach to introduce this to my audience without losing them. So that they can apply it to their everyday scenarios.

AND the foundation for enabling this is awareness. For this to really work, we need to be fully present in every moment. And the truth is we are NOT. We are autopilot creatures and are never fully present in every moment. Just last week as I prepared to exit the car park of my doctor’s building, I had no idea where I placed the parking token. I was rather tired that day. I knew I had paid the fee (I remembered that) but as I came back to the car, I placed the token ‘somewhere’ and spent the next 5 minutes trying to find it! Which tired me more. Vicious loop.

I am sure you can think of scenarios where this happened to you too.

In a conversation last week with an acquaintance in a café, he told me how he ordered a brownie ‘unconsciously’. His medical practitioner had recommended no coffee and sugar for optimal recovery as part of his treatment. He told me that when he was at the counter ordering, he was aware that he should not order coffee, but his awareness ‘missed’ the brownie. In that moment he failed to have the effect that he originally aspired for.

How easily we all fall into these moments of unconsciousness.

So, what can we do about it?

By deduction it is apparent that to cause an effect, we need our awareness to be switched on! But what does that even mean especially when we know that to work effectively and efficiently our brain needs to automate as much as it can.

Awareness definition: observing with our senses in the moment

The brain automates all that doesn’t need conscious observation or awareness. We can drive from home to the office, brush our teeth, and cook a familiar meal without conscious awareness. That’s why sometimes we don’t remember the drive to the office or if we added salt to our dish.

This means awareness gives us information. Had I been aware in my car, I would have known where my parking token was – information. When we are not aware, we lose valuable information. Wheatley in her book has an entire chapter dedicated to information. And she defines the role of information as in-formation, or constantly evolving. Though we try our hardest to make information controllable, stable, and obedient for our cause-and-effect brain, we miss the opportunity that our cause-an-effect brain can do with in-formation.

We all need information to do our work. And when we can’t get the real thing, we make it up! In organisations, Wheatley states that when rumours proliferate it is a sign that people lack honest, meaningful information. ‘Poor communications’ is often cited as employees’ greatest problems. Information is the key ally of resilient organisations.

And it starts with awareness. My challenge now is to take my dissonance and translate it into ways for teams, departments, and organisations to work beyond their organisational cause-and-effect limitations to create cause-an-effect outcomes.

And you can start now, where is your attention (attention requires awareness)? Is it still reading this article, or have I triggered a thought causing your brain to wander?

Be in awareness.

As always, you can reach me at yoga@yoganesadurai.com