Lessons From Neuropsychologist John Preston, Psy.D. On Stress, Sleep, Energy and Solutions that Backfire

J Preston, A Mura International Journal of Coaching in Organizations 2006

Here is a fictitious scenario which is so typical in today’s workplaces that it verges on the archetypal: You are invited to coach a team of three executives, who “can’t get along and can’t produce the results expected of them”… even though all three have a solid track record of past successes and are viewed as among the most talented people in the firm. The technology project they are working on is of vital importance to the firm: a three year push to reconfigure the fundamental platform for how the company does its business – a highly visible, unprecedented undertaking. At the first team meetings you attend, you observe: Eric seems highly volatile, excited and excitable; Leanne seems to day dream and loses the thread of conversations on occasion, although when she does engage, her input speaks to her vast and well-founded experience; Byrd is often irritable – mostly irritated at Eric, it seems – takes things very personally and withdraws, looking down or away a lot of the time. Dr. Preston’s research explains how long-term stress and caffeine or other drugs could be affecting all three executives, causing their reduced mental and emotional capacity.