The Point Of Pressure

Pressure is a perfectly useful stimulus for change, in fact nothing moves without it. How useful or perfect it is depends on your position and perhaps, whether you perceive it as positive or negative, are witnessing the response of others to pressure, or experiencing it firsthand!

World financial markets are a classic example. The media is full of factual information and sensational stories. How affected you are may depend on your exposure to the stock market and/or level of debt, need for cash and risk profile.

As an observer, media reports are simply words read by someone who values knowledge of current market trends. Should you be imminently adversely affected however, you will be more likely to be experiencing pressure.

For some it may be crisis management. However, it is more likely to be more drawn out, a feeling of constant worry, struggle and often overwhelm. The problem may be immediate, the consequences perceived as long term and negative.

This situation is a useful metaphor for ongoing corporate change… the perspectives are the same, the circumstances slightly different. In the case of corporate change, fear of loss, failure and of the future gets in the way of optimistic outlook and motivation to get on with business as usual. Any negative change in circumstances, if perceived to be big enough, will bite.

It is challenging to appreciate the pressure a colleague or staff member feels. Further to this, two people sharing exactly the same experience will most certainly feel different levels of pressure and respond quite differently.

To experience pressure is natural, the absence of pressure suggests the absence of growth. It is your response that counts.

Leading yourself and others whilst under pressure is when your ability to influence, make decisions and communicate with others is tested. If you deal well with pressure, you may find it challenging to understand when others do not. However, unless you dwell in a cave 24/7 you will not be able to avoid the perils of dealing with the pressure that others experience.

The experience of pressure can be described as “A real response to a perceived adverse stimulus”.

Ask yourself these questions to assess the effectiveness of your response, or your people’s response, to pressure.

As you approach these questions, imagine the context of being under constant pressure:

• Do you know and do what is important?


• Are you directed towards an outcome with realistic expectations?


• Do you quickly grasp a situation?


• Do you effectively manage emotion?


• Do you feel influential and in control?


• Are you realistically optimistic?


• Are you open to input from others?


• Do you illustrate empathy whilst responding appropriately?

How far toward the positive or negative you respond to these questions determines your level of emotional resilience.

Given your answers, what is your pressure point, that is, the point that pressure tips the scales and causes a negative reaction in you or your team?

The whole point I am making is that the loss of momentum caused by the adverse pressure experience costs individuals, business and communities momentum, masses of money, time and illness. Not to mention how dreary life at work becomes when people are constantly in a bad mood!

Assess your exposure to the risk of pressure on your business, and then call me when you are ready for positive intervention.

Until next time, be emotionally resilient and enjoy life in business!

Results Through Change

You can read this title in several ways, putting emphasis on different words. Similarly to the myriad of ways you can interpret a message, people sense different messages in change, depending on their experience and their approach.

My approach is of course to do with the behaviour of people, you, your peers, those you report to and those who report to you.

“The only person who likes change is a wet baby!” a quote written some years ago by my friend, Catherine DeVrye, expert on customer service. As with many corporate technologies, napkin technology has changed. Babies now are less likely to directly feel the consequences of being soiled. As a result, napkin change is delayed although it is still necessary since other senses clearly detect the reality as the weight becomes heavier!

So what seems like progress in one sense may just be a cover up! This may seem like an erky subject… but… it may be a perfect metaphor since some of you may sense change as equally on the nose!

The problems of change in business are many and varied but none so challenging as the variety of responses people have to it.

Consider the following…

• How on board are you with change?
• How do you best respond to other people’s responses to change?
• What are you most concerned about during the impending change?
• What is your concern for the future after the change?
• What strategies do you have to lead yourself and others?

During change there may be a response similar to grief, perfectly natural yet challenging to manage. It is critical you acknowledge where you and others are in the process in order to recognise how to move through the phases so you can help others through and achieve a positive result.

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross introduced the five phases of grief, and she suggests they apply to a myriad of change events. Kübler-Ross observed that people may not experience all phases but will experience at least two.

The stages as I apply them to corporate change are:

1. Denial – surely this can’t be happening, not to us, not now!
2. Anger – how ridiculous, how futile!
3. Bargaining – I’ll stay if…
4. Depression – it’s all too hard!
5. Acceptance – well I guess this is really happening! How can I make the best of it?

People need to be first listened to then encouraged and guided to a new perspective. One that allows them to find opportunity based on their ultimate outcome and personal motivators.

Some will more easily feel optimistic and opportunistic about change. However, this does not mean they escape the process, including having to deal with those who are feeling the negative effects, which can be equally frustrating and challenging.

Consider the following for a new perspective…

Change is so frequent in business today it takes some fancy footwork to not change… best use the energy to go with it.

Universal law dictates there are always positive and negative aspects to all things… have reasonable expectations.

You can only lead yourself and others through a challenging experience once you feel emotionally resilient… you can then evaluate effectively, decide rationally and perform effortlessly.

In order to lead another… you must appreciate and understand how they feel and where they stand.

It is not possible to lead someone across a chasm… until you have made the leap yourself.

Change takes you to the precipice of the chasm where your leadership is tested.

Once you have a clear outcome, a strong purpose and the emotional resilience to fuel your leap… you fly. In doing so you create a flight path for others!

Until next time, be emotionally resilient and enjoy life in business!