Performing Under Pressure by Hendrie Weisinger J. P. Pawliw-Fry

Author:Hendrie Weisinger,J. P. Pawliw-Fry [Weisinger, Hendrie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-8041-3673-0
Publisher: Penguin Random House LLC
Published: 2015-02-23T16:00:00+00:00

Pressure Solution 22

SHARING PRESSURE

Recall how you felt after you disclosed to someone else the feelings of pressure you were experiencing about an upcoming event. In line with our coaching experiences and what we’ve learned from evolutionary and social psychologists, we’re guessing you probably felt relieved or, as we say, depressurized. That’s because you executed this pressure solution:

COMMUNICATE YOUR FEELINGS OF BEING UNDER PRESSURE

Studies show the act of sharing distressful feelings reduces anxiety and stress. Sharing your feelings also allows you to examine them, challenge their reality, and view a pressure situation in a realistic manner. Often, others will provide you with helpful suggestions and strategies that put things in perspective.

Next time you’re feeling the heat of an upcoming presentation, deadline, or important client meeting, share your feelings with a friend, colleague, or peer, or with your client or boss.

In a team meeting when it’s obvious everyone is under pressure, raise the issue with the group. Talk about it. We think you’ll find that the entire team will be relieved when it’s out in the open and people realize, It’s not just me.

This is what Dave Bialis did when he faced one of the most intense pressure-filled situations of his career. Bialis is senior vice president and general manager at Cox Communications. He realized he had to let seven hundred people go from a call center unit. While Dave and his senior team understood the need for Cox Communications to take this action, given the competitive environment the company faced, it didn’t make Dave’s job any easier. One of the decisions he made early on was to share the news with his senior team, as well as how he felt about the change. The effect was to galvanize them around Dave. On the day he had to convey the news to the seven hundred who were going to be let go, he didn’t use the usual corporate scripting that most organizations have their lawyers draw up. Instead, he chose to speak from the heart about how he felt. He described how sad he felt about the situation, and how he recognized how this would impact everyone in the room. It helped that Cox provided generous severance and opportunities to relocate employees to other parts of the organization. But the way Dave handled this difficult situation went a long way to helping him and others deal with the pressure more effectively. If you are collaborating with someone else, and starting to feel pressure from a deadline, sharing your feelings will make it easier to effectively confront the task. And you’ll realize it’s not all on your shoulders.

Next time your daughter has an important test coming up, have a “pressure conversation” to get her to share her feelings.

There are plenty of studies to suggest that the act of verbally expressing your feelings, whether in a journal, to a tape recorder, or in an empty room, helps to diminish feelings of anxiety, stress, and pressure.

There is no shame in feeling pressure, but if you don’t share your feelings, there is a good chance pressure will shame you.

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