Imagine you’re about to miss an important product launch date, you do not get a critical contract signed within an agreed timeframe, you’ve forgotten to answer an urgent request from one of your key customers, your boss has been calling you three times in the past 30 minutes to get a super urgent analysis before the board meeting from you, or something went wrong which seriously affects your business and possibly offsets other stakeholders.
In today’s fast-changing and highly complex (business) world, this can happen easily.
A coachee of mine, a remarkable purchasing manager, told me in our last coaching session that he and his team missed an essential deadline to secure crucial supplies for some of their manufacturing facilities. They had been working extremely hard for many months but could not make it on time as a third-party contractor let them down at the very last moment. They all were very disappointed and frustrated. Still, they did not want to give up and tried not to waste any time. They rapidly got on their feet again, and everyone was busy doing many things during multiple long days. In retrospect, most of those activities – he admitted – did not make any difference.
THE THREAT OF HYPER-ACTIVITY
In hindsight, my coachee described those days as a period of collective disorientation and non-coordinated hyper-activity. For him, it was a completely new experience. Pushed by his line managers to deliver agreed results, he lost his usual capability to see the big picture and communicate clearly.
“Don’t try to calm the storm. Calm yourself. The storm will pass.” (Buddha)
He “forgot” to contemplate, analyze the status quo, and calmly discuss with his team possible solutions. Instead, he got more nervous and worried about what his boss would think about him than how to draft a solid alternative plan with the team. He was overwhelmed by the situation. As a result, he and his team created more and more to-do lists, started non-coordinated initiatives, and generated a disconnect between the various working groups and management. Everything with the best intentions in mind and without simply sitting still and thinking through the problem.
STRATEGIES TO STAY CALM UNDER PRESSURE
The most critical task of any manager in very stressful, high-pressure, and demanding situations is keeping calm and one’s shirt on. It’s not about finding quick solutions in the first place. It’s about avoiding chaos, stabilizing the situation, and re-injecting self-confidence into the organization. And only afterward looking for adequate solutions. To get around the risk of facing stressed leadership I’d like to present two formulae that I often refer to in coaching engagements to stay even-tempered and focused during critical times and crises. They are straightforward in concept and with will and repetitive practice also in execution:
The START Formula – This is a preventive concept, i.e. knowing and applying it assists in minimizing the risk of encountering possible “panic” situations.
The SWITCH Formula – Once you find yourself in a situation where you are about to lose clarity and focus, you better exercise this method to stay on course and keep your cool.
THE START FORMULA
If you live by the START formula, you significantly reduce the risk of being dragged into situations where you might lose your orientation and temper.
S – Stand Up
Make your point and explain your strategy and action plan. Don’t allow others to push you around. Don’t be afraid to say no, especially if you’ve already got too much on your plate.
T – Trust
Trust in yourself and others.
A – Action
Action your strategy and plans. Push back if needed. Eliminate all possible distractions like unnecessary meetings, phone calls, etc.
R – Respond
Be responsive and responsible. Keep your line managers, peers, and other stakeholders informed and regularly ask for their opinions. If you need help, be brave enough to ask for it.
T – Take It Easy
Don’t take yourself and your tasks too seriously. We are all replaceable. Don’t give in to stress or anxiety – no matter how far behind you are or how badly you’ve messed up. Relax.
THE SWITCH FORMULA
Once you find yourself in deep and unknown waters applying this method will help you to keep your wits and calm.
S – STOP
Stop running and chasing your tail. Sit down. No further movements.
W – Wait
Make sure you allocate yourself as much downtime as necessary.
I – Inhale
Inhale and breathe. It clears your head. It’ll balance the analytical processes of the mind with your emotions and gut.
T – Think
Contemplate the situation you’re in. Try to understand the root causes and interdependencies. Important: Always allow more time than you think you’ll need.
C – Calculate
Calculate and plan. Set yourself and your team clear goals. Break them down into monthly, weekly, and daily milestone targets. They should be specific, measurable, actionable, realistic, and time-bound (SMART). Leave a sufficiently big buffer between every task.
H – Head On and Proceed
Once you are clear about your objectives and your action plan, move on and execute.
FINAL THOUGHT
We all know that the more we rush, the higher our chances of failing. Still, often we do it with or without realizing it. Consequently, not seldom we create more waste and churn, trigger unnecessary activities, put too much pressure on others and make them feel uncomfortable, and might fail to spot real problems or real opportunities to improve.
What do you think? Please join the discussion by leaving a comment below.
Best regards,
Andreas von der Heydt
https://andreasvonderheydt.com