Do you work effectively under pressure?

• The ‘zone of optimal performance’ – Last month I wrote about the ‘zone of optimal performance’ where you experience just the right amount of pressure and demands to keep you stimulated and motivated. It is where you feel stretched, but not strained and stressed. By learning to work effectively under pressure you are more likely to remain within this zone, spot when you start to slip out of it and take action to get back into the zone.

Are you in the ‘zone of optimal performance’ right now?

Do you have the right amount of pressure to keep you interested and energised? Or are you under or over stimulated by the demands that you face?

• What does working effectively under pressure mean? – there are a number of different facets that impact on our ability to work effectively under pressure. These include:

• Our ability to manage our mood and our reactions to events around us – how resilient are you? What do you do as you go through your day to manage your mood?
• The confidence and ability to negotiate deadlines with our managers, colleagues and clients – are you confident enough and able to negotiate timescales, resources, priorities?
• How we go about managing our time; setting and sticking to priorities – how organised are you? Do you get easily distracted away from your main priorities?
• The quality of our relationships with others whether they are within our team, our clients or our families – are the relationships in your life supporting you or do they create more pressure and stress?

‘When the whole situation makes you unhappy and confused, choose one thing, however small, that you would like to change.’ Anne Dickson

• Where do you need to start to change? – I have referred to Robert Dilt’s Logical Levels Of Change model before and it can apply it to many different types of situations. Thinking about applying it to ‘working effectively under pressure’ you might want to consider the following points:

• Environment – how organised are you? Does your environment support or hinder effective working. It could be that small changes in your environment can help you to be more efficient and effective. I remember making a small change within my office that made it much easier for me to access the phone, computer and vital files, making the process of working in my office smoother.

What changes can you make in your environment to help you to work more effectively?

Do you have the resources and people in your environment to support you?

• Behaviour – running around like a headless chicken when deadlines loom or issues crop up won’t lead to effective working. However, taking time out either at the beginning and end of each day to reflect on what you have achieved and plan what to do next is likely to help you. I know that when I start to say to myself ‘I have not got time to stop and plan ahead’, is just the time when I need to.

Which of your behaviours help you? Which behaviours hinder you in working effectively?

‘Insanity is doing the same thing, in the same way, while expecting different results’ Chris Clarke-Epstein

• Competence – this is about the fact that what goes on in your head – the internal pictures and messages - affects your behaviour and your competence. If when challenges occur your ‘inner dialogue’ is doom ladened and the pictures are of worst case scenarios this is going to affect how you feel and how you behave. Be aware that we frequently get what we focus on. If you tend to be negative in the face of challenges, use the following technique: look up and visualise yourself successfully handling what is on your plate. If you say ‘Yes but what if X happens’, visualise how you will deal with it.

• Beliefs – whether these are beliefs about yourself, others or the situation in hand, they are likely to be either positive and helpful or negative and hinder or limit you in working effectively. You are what you think – so you might want to clean up your thinking and create some more empowering, supportive and positive beliefs.

What beliefs do you have that support you? What beliefs do you have that undermine you?

‘Whether you believe you can or you believe you can’t, you are absolutely right.’ Henry Ford

• Spirit – this is about keeping yourself motivated, keeping a sense of perspective and lifting your spirits. What people do to lift their spirits can vary from listening to music, meditation, being in nature, being with supportive friends.

What lifts your spirits?

‘You are led through your lifetime by the inner learning creature, the playful spiritful being that is your real self.’ Richard Bach

Want more Inspiration? If you want any support in finding ways to work effectively under pressure, we can offer 1:1 support, consultancy advice and group workshops to assist you in doing this. Just call 01865 377334 or email mg@grovelands.org.uk  to arrange a time to speak in confidence. For more information about Grovelands visit our website: www.grovelands.org.uk

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