Executive skills, also known as executive functions, are the abilities rooted in the frontal lobes of our cerebral cortex that we rely on to get by in our everyday lives. They are what keep us focused on our jobs, able to meet deadlines, remember our appointments and make and stick to a budget.
You may be stronger in one area and weaker in another. Executive Skill Dysfunction (or Executive Function Disorder) occurs when a person has weaknesses across the board, and it is commonly found in people with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism-spectrum disorders, dementia and those who have damaged frontal lobes, whether by physical damage or stroke/TIA (ScienceDaily).
In their book Smart but Scattered, Doctors Peg Dawson and Richard Guare identify 11 unique executive skills, each one allowing us to react to the world around us in particular ways:
The Executive Skills
- Response inhibition keeps our impulsiveness in check, allowing us to think before we act. When we turn down an extra helping of dessert or we put our credit card back in our wallet instead of buying the $400 pair of shoes, we are demonstrating response inhibition.
- We demonstrate flexibility when we receive word that a deadline has changed and we make the changes necessary to get the project done without letting it completely ruin our day. It’s the ability that allows us to adapt to a world where nothing is ever set in stone.
- The skill of emotional control keeps us from melting down like a toddler when things don’t go our way. We demonstrate emotional control when someone else gets the promotion we were hoping for, and, instead of kicking in our supervisor’s computer, we write in a journal or go take a walk.
- Without task initiation, we would never be able to start anything. When we choose to exercise now instead of putting it off until later or wash the dishes instead of leaving them for the next person, we are using this skill.
- Sustained attention allows us to sit through a boring or unpleasant meeting without resorting to pulling out our smart phone for entertainment. A college student who stays focused in class instead of texting a friend is demonstrating sustained attention.
- We utilize working memory when we learn from past mistakes and successes and apply them to our future endeavors. It also allows us keep information in our heads despite distractions that may be occurring around us. A child who has learned what “hot” means and blows on her food instead of digging in is using her working memory skill.
- When we set out a series of steps to reach a goal we areplanning, we prioritize as we sort through information to determine what is important and what is not. A person who wants to lose weight will use this skill to first break a large goal down into achievable steps, and then determine which should be implemented to reach her goal.
- When we help our children sort their toys into appropriate bins, we are teaching them organization. This skill allows to categorize and create systems for tracking information.
- Scheduling a meeting and working within the allotted time is an example of time management in action. We use this skill when we demonstrate an understanding of how much time an activity should take and plan accordingly.
- Goal-directed persistence allows us to visualize something that we desire and put enough importance on it that it guides our decisions and allows us to focus on the goal despite challenges and distractions. If we have chosen to save money for a family vacation, we must give up other frivolities in order to have money to put away. The desired outcome is strong enough to encourage us to do so.
- When we can step back from a situation and determine the best way to solve a problem, we are demonstrating metacognition. This skill also includes the ability to monitor and evaluate ourselves, for example, if we argue with a friend and later review it in our minds to find ways that we could have handled it better.
As you may have noticed, skills can overlap and augment each other. According to Drs. Dawson and Guare, executive skills often work together in “sets”. For example, organization, time management and task initiation are a set of skills that we use to keep the house clean. A person trying to lose weight would rely on goal-directed persistence, planning/prioritization and response inhibition.
As in most of life, we all have our strengths and weaknesses when it comes to the executive skills. By bolstering the weaker skills with stronger skills and practicing them regularly, we can “retrain” our brains and improve the skills which cause us challenges in our lives.
Sources
- Dawson, Peg EdD and Richard Guare PhD, Smart but Scattered, The Guilford Press, 2009.
- Chan, Richard MD, et al, "Deficits in Brain's 'Executive' Skills Common With TIA, Minor Stroke," Science Daily, March 6, 2010.
Amelia Ramstead - Amelia hopes that her experiences as a mother prove helpful to others as she shares what she has learned.
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