The Power of the Hawthorne Affect

Take a Stroll

Ever take a stroll with a friend who walks a little faster or slower than you normally would alone?  Your stride will invariably take on their pace and rhythm to keep pace. 

It's this same act of taking on the same energy and patterns of people around us that is the foundation of something called, The Hawthorne Affect. 

I'd like to talk about what it is briefly and illustrate a few ways where it can be used effectively to boost your productivity.

The Origin of the Hawthorne Affect

The term Hawthorne Affect was coined back in 1958 by a researcher named Henry Landsberger. Hawthorne Works, which was an electric company based in Chicago, commissioned an experiment to see if their workers would be more productive under higher or lower levels of light. 

Although this particular research was the basis of the study, what they found about the habits of productivity were quite interesting.

To read more about the Hawthorne Affect check out: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawthorne_effect

The Compound Effect

It turns out seemingly insignificant adjustments like clearing floors of debris, switching around workstations, or maintaining clean work areas all served to boost company productivity. 

How Can We Apply it to Our Daily Lives

I mentioned in a previous blog post that a recent study revealed those who write down their goals are 39% more likely to achieve them. That number jumps to nearly 75% when you have an accountability partner. Once you've made the proclamation that you plan on doing something to another person you will move mountains to get it done.

Those who write down their goals are 39% more likely to achieve them. That number jumps to nearly 75% when you have an accountability partner.

This study beautiful illustrates the power of accountability. Serial entrepreneur and New York Times bestselling author Gary Vaynerchuk elaborated in a recent interview on the value of looking outside one self in order to achieve greater results. 

"You know what really sealed the deal for me? Getting healthier. I was 38 years old and it didn't come naturally to me. I hate the gym. I hate it now. I don't like it. I don't want to do it. But I knew it was important...I've won and I'll never lose again. The system was, I needed to be accountable to another human being. I'm doing it almost weirdly more to not let them down. So I feel like there's a shift that can make people work harder."

Coffee with a Friend 

If you want to apply the Hawthorne Affect right now, do what learning expert and keynote Jim Kwik suggests. 

He'll often ask a very focused and productive friend out to a coffee shop when he needs to get some work done. He'll take on the energy of his friend and put an equal amount of heightened focus, time, and effort into what he's doing in an attempt to mirror their effort. 

As a result, he gets more done in less time.

It's Easy to Criticize but How Are You Contributing?

I once had a friend who could convince me the world was going to pieces just by how he said hello. He always saw the downside of up and wondered why he couldn’t find his path in life. Each time I encouraged him to look at things in a more positive light he’d tell me, “I’m just being realistic.”

Over time, I didn’t like who I was becoming when we spent time together. I started talking badly about people I cared about, criticized just about anything under the sun, and strayed far from my core values in an attempt to placate him. Each time we parted ways I had an emotional deficit I needed to dig out of. Eventually, I had to limit our associations even though I cared about his well-being.

The truth is it’s easy to criticize. Today, you can hide behind an anonymous screen name and bully people bold enough to share their voice with the world. We can hurl insults at those whose belief system challenges our own, not realizing we sever the ties to community and a part of our own spirit in the process.

When you criticize more than you contribute, your credibility begins to erode and you forfeit the value you have to offer the world. What we need more of is compassion, vulnerability, and greater consciousness. As far as I can see, there are three meaningful actions we can take to make sure we lift others up instead of cutting them down.

1. Get involved

A few years after graduating from drama school, a funny thing started to happen. I found myself picking up The Economist instead of the Hollywood Reporter. I was suddenly fascinated by the world beyond the stage and curious how I could affect positive change in my community. I was also frustrated by the lack of unity and integrity I saw in our leadership.

So, instead of complaining I decided to volunteer with a New York City councillor I respected. I was by far the oldest intern she’d ever seen, often mistaken for a staff member. For four months I didn’t get a dime and every morning I received marching orders from someone nearly half my age. But by swapping my pride for an open mind I forged meaningful relationships, informed myself about my city government, and learned to appreciate how difficult a job being an elected official really is. I also realized that affecting change is rooted in action and not rhetoric. The more I knew the less inclined I felt to make stale criticisms and instead focus on the positive impact I could make.

2. Praise others

Before graduate school I spent a year working as a substitute teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area. The days were long and never easy. By the end of the school year I’d worked with kids of all backgrounds, age groups, and grade levels. I could tell instantly which students had never been told how important they were. No matter how long my assignment in a given school I made a conscious effort to tell the kids they were doing good work and that I was proud of them.

Watching how they’d light up from those simple words convinced me that praise, however seemingly inconsequential, can breathe life into a dormant spirit. A kind word or two can put an extra bounce in someone’s step, giving them the courage to put their best foot forward. And with action comes an awakening to one’s potential.

3. Seek a higher consciousness

Years ago, while taking a walk with a close friend, I started to share my frustration with my acting career. I told him I’d had a tough time getting a fair shake at parts I dreamed of playing because of the lack of opportunities for people of color. It wasn’t an issue he could personally identify with in the least, but he listened without any judgment. Instead of criticizing, he sought ways to understand. He taught me if we could all look within before speaking out, the world would change overnight.

Just because you don’t understand something doesn’t mean it’s wrong. If empathy is the ability to understand another’s feelings, compassion is concern for another’s hardship, even if we’ve never shared the same experience.  

What to Do When Struggling with Your "Why"

The other night I was talking to a good friend of mine back in New York. "Have you ever felt your motivation start to fade?" he asked. "Sure," I told him. "It happens."

What I've discovered is your "why" for doing what you do will be tested, especially the longer you do something. It can happen for any number of reasons. For my friend, it was clear he'd evolved a great deal as a person and the things he valued in life had changed. He was still working hard towards a dream that didn't completely line-up with his new self. 

Sometimes we also need to take the focus off our hustle and look outside ourselves. I found that being of service to others whether as a teacher, or volunteer re-awakened the things I love to do most in life. As much as I enjoyed teaching I realized there were other ways I could best be of service. And I only came to that realization by tinkering with different platforms and trying new things. New experiences may bring to light another path worth taking or restore the one you're already on.  

What Bill Russell Taught Me About Identity

One afternoon Bill Russell was walking down the street with a friend when a boy approached the 6’9 Hall of Famer. "Are you a basketball player?" he asked. Russell smiled and replied, “No," before the boy ran off. 

Moments later, Russell’s friend asked quizzically, “Bill, why did you lie to that boy?”

“I didn’t lie,” Russell said. “Basketball is what I do. It’s not who I am.”  

There is a difference. 

Support the Work of Friends

A couple of years ago I hopped in my car and drove about an hour north of my parents' house. I was going to a popular racetrack my father used to take me to as a kid. On this particular afternoon, one of my closest friends was working an event. Over the years he'd slowly risen in the ranks of this "everyday Joe," racing series where anyone from across the country can compete with a car valued at no more than $500. 

For years, he'd been inviting me to races and for one reason or another I couldn't make it. But on this day I told him I'd be there and was glad I came.

I sat in the stands listening to my friend over the loud speaker direct contestants before the start of the race. He was the "guy" everyone turned to for answers about where to go and what to do. I marveled at how far he'd come, wildly proud of his achievement. But more importantly I sensed he was grateful I'd made the trip. A little gesture had gone very far.

I realized that afternoon that we all need to feel like we matter -- it's an integral part of the human condition. And today, we associate that value with the work we do. When we support what others do for a living, in some small way we validate the time and effort they put towards their craft, and indirectly let them know what they do is important. 

Figure out What You Want and Ask for It

Make the call. Most people don’t take initiative. Steve Jobs said no one he ever reached out to for help ever refused. He simply asked.

Years ago as I was sitting on the sofa of my cramped New York apartment my friend was pounding away at my laptop. He was make inquiry after inquiry looking for opportunities to get in his foot in the door. Just as he was about close shop he checked one last email before mumbling something under his breath, "You'd be amazed what you can get out of life if you just ask." That inadvertent piece of advice has become the single most influential insight of my life. And to think, I wasn't even supposed to hear it!

Here's my brief track record of simply asking:

-- Worked as an intern at a major news station in the San Francisco Bay Area and got to interview several members of the Oakland A's and San Francisco Giants. I was only 19.

-- Volunteered for a New York City Council Member and was allowed to attend meetings and events not open to the public. I learned a great deal about the nuances of city government.

-- Became a casting reader for major television networks and Broadway, reading opposite stars of the stage and screen.

-- Spent time at an orphanage in Haiti.

-- Spoke at a TEDx Event by asking the coordinator if they still needed speakers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSAgO3sPBog&t=517s

-- Acted in a feature film I was only supposed to be a production assistant for

Figure out what it is you want and ask for it. The worst that can happen pales in comparison to what doors may open if you make the call.

Your Life Wasn't Meant to Be Lived in a Bubble

The other day I was speaking to a good friend of mine who'd been working nonstop to launch an APP she'd developed. A few months back we started a little informal Master Mind group where a group of us meet weekly to discuss our goals. "I'm so glad we're doing this," she told me. "It just forces me to drop everything, close my laptop, and get outside to see actual people."

Her comment got me thinking. I'm all for being extremely driven and putting in the hard work necessary to see our aspirations realized. But if we're not careful I think it can come at a great cost. I often talk about how fiercely competitive I was at graduate school. I'd arrive at the theater at 5:30 am in the morning and had to be the first to sign my name on the check-in sheet. I made great strides in developing my craft as an actor but it came at the expense of pushing away some people who really cared for me. I often chose competition over community and solitude over camaraderie. 

Looking back, I wish I understood what I do now: Life is not meant to be lived in a bubble. It's about relationships, community, connection, and coming up for air every once in a while. It's a constant juggling act, but it's crucial we unplug every now and then and just be around other like-minded people who make us feel good. Otherwise what's the point of it all? 

My hunch is getting to the top won't be fulfilling if you get there alone. 

How Well Do You Know Your Friends?

Yesterday, I spent the afternoon with an old friend of mine. For a few months we were running into each other almost once a week. It became a running joke how often we'd see each other but never actually spend time together. "How about coffee sometime?" one of us would suggest. Then nothing would happen. 

We finally managed to pin down a day. We sat in her backyard as her daughter took a nap inside. I listened as she told me stories of her childhood, brief stints in Hawaii, San Francisco, and how she even studied in Russia as a high school student. What a remarkable life, I thought to myself.

It later dawned on me that I knew very little about my friend despite the fact we'd known each other nearly 20 years. We were never particularly close, but always got along well. 

But the real reason I didn't know much about her was because I'd never really asked about her life. Our conversations were always topical in nature and neither one of us really scratched the surface to better understand what truly defined one another.

How well do we really know our friends? Ourselves? Or anyone really? The nuances and complexities of human nature make those questions difficult to answer, but it's certain that if we don't invest in the discovery of others we'll never know more than we could. 

What I Talk About When I Talk About Artists

Ever felt like there's a hierarchy on careers? A close friend of mine seems almost consumed by which professions are important and those that aren't. Traditionally admired paths like doctor, or engineer get a 5 star rating in his assessment, but less conventional callings rank lower.

Still, it all comes down to the value you attribute to what you do. If a physician saves a life isn't it then about what that life goes on to do? How he or she influences the community, forges relationships, and leaves a legacy? Don't teachers, artists, and actors have the same capacity? Perhaps we don't save lives in the conventional sense, but maybe we lift a spirit, offer a little hope. Who's to say this isn't an equally worthwhile pursuit?

In his memoir, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, Haruki Murakami says the following: 

"Even if, seen from the outside, or from some higher vantage point, this sort of life looks pointless or futile, or even extremely inefficient, it doesn't bother me. Maybe it's some pointless act like, as I've said before, pouring water into an old pan that has a hole in the bottom, but at least the effort you put into it remains. Whether it's good for anything or not, cool or totally uncool, in the final analysis what's most important is what you can't see but can feel in your heart." 

If it's important to you it's important enough.

No Industry Like It

"Being an artist is the only line of work where you're considered a quitter if you move on to something else," I heard a friend say. "If you're a lawyer and then decide to teach, nobody says anything. You just switched careers."

I thought about his words for quite a while after our conversation. He had a point. Not only does walking away from being an artist often entail a stigma, but far more difficult, the loss of identity. "If I'm not an actor then who am I?"

All I've learned is the more you build up who you are as a person, broaden your understanding of the world, and clarify the role you hope to play in it, you'll slowly evolve into a person who refuses to be defined by just one thing. 

When you take comfort in the knowing you're a three-dimensional person with skills, stories, and gifts to offer beyond your art form, you'll take greater comfort in your hiatus from your first love, however long that may be.

6 Months

Last night I spoke with an actor friend who said, "It's finally starting to feel okay living in Los Angeles." She'd lived in Tinsel Town for about 6 months. Over the years I'd heard people say the same thing about New York, Houston, or really any place when I sat and thought about it.

There's something about allowing yourself time to stumble through a new community. Everything from getting familiar with the local highways to carving out your own circle of friends can seem overwhelming at first. I remember moving to Los Angeles a few years back and spending a considerable amount of time scolding my GPS system for leading me astray in the maze of highways that make up Southern California. 

In time, I got my footing the same way I did in New York and any other place I've lived for an extended period of time. If you're in a new town and starting to feel a little isolated or lost, make sure to give yourself some time. As long as you keep putting yourself out there and making the most of each opportunity you'll be sure to turn a corner. 

Sleep on it

A good friend recently shared his strategy for writing with me. "When I'm done with a piece I usually let it sit for day. I sleep on it."

It reminded me of the value of taking a step back from a project. Ideas in the moment are often infused with excitement and a heightened sense of emotion. As a result, it can be harder to be objective about whether the idea is good, or if it'll even work well.

There's great value in going off and doing something completely unrelated to the project at hand. You may return with a fresh perspective and a sense of gratitude/relief for not rushing the process. 

Embrace the Suck

I spoke with a close friend yesterday about something entrepreneurs like to call, "Embracing the suck." It's the idea that the actual day-to-day grind of being in the trenches and committing ourselves fully to a dream often involves doing things that aren't really fun. 

Still, we do it because we have a bigger picture in mind. We're in it for the long game sort of speak.

I've discovered that people are happiest when they feel a sense of progress. And meaningful progress comes from stretching ourselves and striving toward goals that make us question whether we have what it takes. Actor Cillian Murphy once remarked that if there wasn't at least a small part of him that doubted he could play a role it wasn't worth taking.

During my days at drama school I'd often arrive at the theater at 5:30 in the morning to work on monologues, movement, or my diction. Was getting there at that insane hour enjoyable? I can't say that it was, but the result filled me with the satisfaction I'd given everything I had toward achieving a larger goal.

Don't Forget to Be a Person

Years ago I was taking an acting on-camera class with a popular instructor in New York. "Ever had the experience of prepping for an audition with a friend, or partner who isn't an actor?" he asked. "Doesn't it drive you crazy when you've been struggling to understand a scene and they come along and get it instantly?" The entire class nodded, taking solace in the fact we'd all felt the same way at one time or another.

"Do you want to know why that is?" he finally said. "It's because they're looking at the scene as a human being and not an actor."

It was true. I'd picked up some great tools in drama school, but in getting bogged down with "obstacles," and "objectives," and "high stakes," I'd lost the all important ability to use my imagination and simply ask myself, "What would I do in this situation?"

Hone your skills as an actor but don't forget to look at the work as a person.

Just Ask

Yesterday afternoon I went to meet an old friend of mine. I'd asked her earlier in the week if she wouldn't mind sharing a story about growing up in Oakland for a website I'd been working on geared towards promoting positive news in the area. Thankfully, she agreed and off we went. "I've been giving this a lot of thought," she told me.

I set my recorder down on the coffee table as her 7-month old son Toshiro bounced on her lap. Within seconds she shared with me a remarkable story about her family's history in Oakland. Evidently, her grandfather ran an illegal gambling ring with tables that turned into the walls. It was something out of a movie.

As she delved into more serious topics like the hardships her family experienced during World War II like the internment of Japanese Americans and the relocation of thousands and thousands of families, I got a sense of the gratitude she had for their enormous sacrifices. She beamed when relaying anecdotes of her mother's work ethic and grandparents' determination to give their children a better life.

I left her home grateful for her time and marveled how open she was about her family's struggles. It then dawned on me that I'd experienced the same situation on numerous occasions: in noisy coffee shops, onboard planes, BBQs, and even before an audition.

I realized people have inspiring and interesting stories they want to tell. They're just waiting for someone to ask.