What is pressure?

Official definition: The stress or urgency of mattes demanding attention; the burden of physical or mental distress.

Working under pressure involves the stress that comes from dealing with a matter that must be taken care of in a timely matter. This pressure can lead to physical or mental distress.

How to cope in a more healthy way?

Consider the following:

1. Maintain Control (I know, easier said than done, but doable and critical). This is the first step to really learning how to continue to work effectively even when the pressure is high. How do you do this?
   • Recognize that many times your emotions are taking over and clouding your decision-making. As you feel the pressure rise, think before you respond. Ask yourself the questions "are my emotions speaking for me?" Then give yourself a little time to know that, while you may be upset and feel pressed, you are in control. Emotions cloud decision-making and inhibit your ability to deal with a problem.
      
   
2. Evaluate. Be sure you know exactly what the issue is before you try and resolve it. (This is one of my downfalls - being a "fix it" person, I'm too quick to jump right in!) But remember:
• On the surface it may seem to be one thing, when in fact there is an underlying cause. Acting too quickly may make matters worse.
• Ask important questions (why, what, why, when) to get to the root of the problem.
   

3. Determine the Priority. Does this need to be dealt with now or can it wait? Practice the difference between urgent and important -- urgent may just mean it's in front of you; it's the wheel that is squeeking. That doesn't mean it's the most important thing for you to be spending your time on.
    
4. Make a Plan. Have a plan for handling a crisis BEFORE a crisis happens; this one thing alone can lessen how often you work under pressure. What will you do when you have several key staff absent on the same day? What backup is available when equipment fails? Implement your backup plan when situations require it.
    
5. Learn How to 'Work Without a Net.' Sometimes situations arise for which there can't be a plan -- it just happens. When you're faced with this:

• Identify the real issue - be careful, it's not always what it first seems
• Determine how critical it is and how quickly it must be dealt with
• Create a simple to-do list for each step to resolve it
• Carry out the steps or delegate

I realize it sounds easy on paper and it's difficult to execute. And notice I said earlier that this is NOT easy to do - but it is DOABLE and CRITICAL if you are going to work well under pressure.

Any time you deal with something for which you had no plan for -- after the event is resolved, write down everything possible while it's still fresh in your mind. You may be able to use these notes later to create steps that could help you should this arise again in the future.

Leadership Success Circle can help you learn how to work well under pressure. It provides you with this support network that all leaders need. You will find leaders who experience similar barriers and challenges to yours, and together you can find solutions.

Leadership training opportunities are offered in many ways to meet your organization's specific needs and budget. Take a look at our different training approaches, including these On-Demand traning courses:

• Supervisor 101
• Bringing Out the Best in You and Others
• Managing Staff in Stressful Times: Celebrations and Challenges of Leading Multiple Generations
• Dealing With Difficult People
• Creating a Culture of Customer Service Excellence
• The Healthy Leader: Learning to Lead Yourself