We don’t usually hear about executive function.
We are taught skills (some) in our early education.
Yet, this is a topic not as frequently in conversations once we reach adulthood.
So, what is “executive function”?
This statement refers to a set of skills.
These skills provide the foundation for us to plan, meet goals, follow instructions, deal with interruptions, display self-control, and more.
Most summaries include 8-10 executive function skills that provide us with different abilities.
My Perspective
After reviewing a LOT of summaries and research, I landed on 12 dimensions.
When coaching individuals and teams, these are the areas that come up frequently.
Here is a summary:
- Time Management – Estimate how long tasks will take and allocate time to meet deadlines.
- Flexibility – Adapt to new situations and think in different ways.
- Planning – Develop a well thought out roadmap before starting a task. (& Prioritization)
- Organization – Develop and maintain a system that keeps materials and plans in order.
- Prioritization – Set goals and determine what actions are most important.
- Self-Awareness – The ability to monitor how we are doing in the moment and control our thoughts, actions, and emotions.
- Problem Solving – Identify issues and develop creative solutions.
- Task Initiation – Independently start tasks when needed even if we don’t want to.
- Attention – Focus on a person or task for a period and shift when needed. (& Focus)
- Perseverance – Stick with a task and not give up if it becomes challenging.
- Metacognition – Being aware of what we know and using that as we learn.
- Working Memory – Retain & arrange information over short periods of time.
Future posts will dive deeper into these executive functions.
We’ll review what they are and ideas of how you can strengthen each skill.
Your Turn
Have you heard about the executive functions?
Looking at the list above, which three do you struggle with the most?
Are there strategies that work for you to address the weaker ones?