PPB February 2020

Keep an eye onwhat really matters and what can be cut away. A good leader canmake a potentially crushing workload feel manageable. tricky situation, it can be a huge credibility builder. Conversely, when they see you fall apart, it can create a trust deficit that is hard to recover from, even when things settle down. Here are a few suggestions for managing yourself with grace under stress: First, eliminate as much stress as you can by being a well-run organization. Work to create a best-odds environment for eliminating problems. Things will go wrong from time to time. You can’t control everything. However, there are lots of things you can control. Make sure you have good processes and procedures in place for eliminating avoidable headaches. For example: • Plan for disaster by learning frommistakes and fixing the culprits. • Identify stress points and think critically about who they impact. What is causing increased workloads? Use this evaluation to decide where to delegate work and identify teammembers who might need additional support. (Don’t lower expectations. This will only breed excuses and erode performance over time.) • Say no to some requests. This way you don’t have to scurry around trying to do them and then later explain why you didn't get them done. Learn to prioritize (and teach others to as well). A big to-do list should not freak you out. Everyone is busy and they should be. Just use the list to work in a sensible order (evaluating daily what is most important). Often, we try to close out small tasks tomake room for bigger ones, when what we should be doing is prioritizing our to-do list and staying focused on the things that really matter. Just getting things done may feel good in the moment but what really matters is getting the big things done. Simplify when things get stressful. Bring order and clear thinking to chaotic situations. Keep an eye on what really matters and what can be cut away. A good leader canmake a potentially crushing workload feel manageable. By taking a cool andmethodical approach, you canmake a huge difference in helping others stay focused and productive and keep their stress reactions in check. Create a culture of calm. Be sensitive to the messages you’re sending out. Model calmness when things are chaotic. You teach your employees how to behave based on how you behave. The things leaders do, both positive and negative, get mirrored, and research shows that the ripple effect of negative emotions is considerably more intense than that of positive emotions. If employees see you panicking, they are likely to panic. If they see you staying calm and focused on solutions, they will mimic this behavior as well. Also, try not to show physical signs of stress. Wringing your hands and pacing around anxiously will not make things better. In fact, it will likely make your employees more worried and stressed out, negatively impacting their performance. Don't blow things out of proportion. Do everything you can to keep a level head. Sometimes our tempers flare when things are stressful. Try to avoid letting small issues turn into big problems. When leaders lose their cool, problems only escalate, people get upset and their productivity plummets. Plus, explosions can cause long-termdamage and tank a leader's credibility. In the end, all of this means more time fixing avoidable problems. Be careful about the words you use and the stories you tell. Avoid using words like “slammed” or “overwhelmed.” There is nothing wrong with stating that you are busy, but how you talk about being busy and carry yourself impacts others. It has a ripple effect. Just because you are stressed, it doesn't mean everyone else has to be. Keep the past in its place. Leaders can generate a lot of stress for themselves and others by rehashing mistakes and misses. Yes, frame these slipups as learning experiences but don't keep talking about them over and over, retelling the story; it just becomes gossip at that point. Instead of focusing on past challenges, look for what's right and constantly celebrate bright spots. This shifts the focus inside the organization. Don't pretend to be fearless. Commonmistakes leaders make is to pretend that everything is fine when it clearly isn’t. Sometimes acknowledging that a situation or negative circumstance is real, and possibly even scary, is the best way to build trust with your team and get them to invest 110 percent in solving | FEBRUARY 2020 | 63 THINK