Executive functioning and dysfunction for entrepreneurs and employees
Employees work best when their brains are the most engaged and when most employees primarily use one side of their brain to complete their tasks; entrepreneurs have unique brain wiring that involves using both the left and right sides of their pre-frontal cortex. This enables them to approach explorative tasks differently by seeking new methods to achieve their goals rather than solely relying on current practices. As a result, they utilise all of their executive functions.
No one is born with the perfect skills, but the more people nurture the fact that everyone is born with the potential to develop them, the more they can succeed. Treatment for improving executive function isn’t a one-size-fits-all treatment as everyone’s nature and nurture are different, and days or tasks need to be structured to an employee with the task at hand to prevent other departments from being impacted in the case where they have too many unplanned delays or rushes to get tasks done.
What is executive function?
Our executive functioning skills are the CEO of our brains. This management system consists of mental skills we use to manage our actions in response to events.
Our executive functions consist of:
Emotional control – the ability to regulate emotions.
Flexibility – the ability to adapt to changes.
Organisation – the ability to keep track of information or things.
Planning and time management – the ability to develop and order steps to reach goals.
Self-control – the ability to stop and think before acting.
Self-regulation – the ability to keep track of and evaluate yourself whilst acting.
Task initiation – the ability to start tasks without procrastination.
Working memory – the ability to hold information in mind short and long-term.
People who struggle with one or more executive functions may struggle with executive dysfunction.
What is executive dysfunction?
Executive dysfunction is not an official disorder but a symptom of many other issues affecting a person’s physical and mental health and/or a part of many other mental health conditions.
Employees who struggle with Emotional control:
Have trouble accepting criticism.
Feel too overcome with emotion to start and finish tasks.
Overreact to minor misconduct.
Employees who struggle with Flexibility:
Struggle to prepare for and/or comprehend challenging tasks and new material.
Find it difficult to change course.
Think in very concrete all-or-nothing, black-and-white ways.
Employees who struggle with Organisation:
Speak incoherent and/or illogically.
Are constantly losing or misplacing things.
Cannot arrange thoughts and actions even whilst knowing negative consequences.
Employees who struggle with Planning and time management:
Have trouble seeing the main idea.
Struggle to understand and/or take action on starting projects.
Struggle to understand how to simplify and break tasks into smaller, more manageable chunks.
Employees who struggle with Self-control:
Blurt words out and/or do unsafe things without thinking them through.
Have trouble following rules.
Rush through work without checking it and/or quit before finishing tasks.
Employees who struggle with Self-regulation:
Lack self-awareness – struggling to differentiate what they know and what they don’t know.
Don’t know how to check their own work without outside input.
Act based on internal states instead of situational cues.
Employees who struggle with Task initiation:
Become overwhelmed to a point where they do nothing altogether.
Cannot start tasks without planning and prioritising.
Come across as procrastinating or seeming lazy.
Employees who struggle with Working memory:
Find it difficult to follow instructions, take notes, or comprehend things recently explained to them.
Forget what they were talking about or what they wanted to say.
Have trouble understanding multi-step tasks.
*Despite the similarities, ADHD is not the same as executive dysfunction. ADHD is when those diagnosed have issues with maintaining attention, and executive dysfunction is characterised by people who cannot plan and take action.
Workplace factors that contribute to executive dysfunction include:
High-tension work environments
Interruption from tasks
Loud customers, co-workers, and noises outside of the working space
Poor office equipment
Rude customers and co-workers
Personal factors that contribute to executive dysfunction include:
Ageing
Drug/alcohol abuse
Genetics
Hormones
Medication
Mental illness
Physical illness and/or lack of exercise
Poor diet and/or lack of vitamins and minerals
Poor sleep
Stress and trauma.
How to improve your executive functions:
Changes in environment- noise levels, visual reminders, eating and social areas.
Changes in interactions- specific direction, encouragement, immediate feedback.
Classroom-wide interventions- routines, small groups.
Clear structure & expectations.
Explicit teaching and instruction.
Identifying obstacles (in the past, present and in advance).
In-person, remote and hybrid working options.
Leading by example.
Monitoring progress.
Ongoing guidance & support.
Quality control- consistently monitor progress, goals & projects.
Recognising and rewarding effort.
Teaching specific skills - plans, coaching, plan-do-review.
Team collaboration and accountability.
Conclusion:
Often, employees who become defensive and emotionally reactive about certain topics are the ones who could benefit the most from improving their executive function. Executive dysfunction can be perceived as a 'danger' or something that is wrong with you, which you may try to ignore or get rid of without facing it. Instead of adopting a fixed mindset and adjusting your life around it, a growth mindset can help you to overcome it and make positive changes.
Entrepreneur's power can come through their control of others and themselves however, real power is not controlling others but controlling yourself, as trying too much to control scenarios outside your control means you have less control. Entrepreneurs must remember to put on their own ‘oxygen masks’ before helping others because when we perform at our best, we can also be of better use to support others to perform at their best and set a better example.
P.S. I am not a physician or mental health professional; this post is meant for informational purposes only and is not diagnostic. If you suspect you or others may have clinical executive dysfunction disorder – please contact a qualified professional for diagnosis or treatment.
