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6 Tactics To Deal With Pressure At Work · Enhance.training

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Pressure at work is next to impossible to avoid, no matter what job you do.
• 0:04
  SPEAKER_00: Therefore, learning how to deal with pressure at work is a pretty sensible skill set to develop.
• 0:09
  SPEAKER_00: For example, to know when you are comfortable with a level of pressure and when the stress gets too much and starts exhausting you or worse.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_00: Your ability to productively manage pressure is as important to your career progress as developing many other more obvious skills.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_00: Managing stress productively will also make your work life a lot more enjoyable.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_00: Today we're covering, firstly, know your pressure threshold, secondly, prioritize ruthlessly, third, turn big tasks into small tasks, fourth, set boundaries and be clear on expectations, fifth, how and when to ask for help, and sixth, nine pressure management techniques.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_00: Some pressure is needed in daily life, it's motivational and increases what we get done.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_00: Too much stress and pressure can leave you exhausted or worse.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_00: It is important to know where you are on the stress performance curve.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_00: Towards the end, I share nine pressure management techniques that work for the majority of people, so try these out.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_00: My name is Jess Coles and I've been a hiring manager for over 20 years in corporates and household names through to SMEs.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_00: I genuinely enjoy reasonable pressure and regularly have to deal with pressurized situations.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_00: I've also experienced too much pressure at work for an extended period, which left me exhausted and struggling.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_00: I've experienced most parts of the stress performance curve.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_00: If you're new to this podcast, Enhanced.training shares business and people management expertise to help you improve your performance and that of your team and business.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_00: And do visit us at enhanced.training and take a look at the courses and resources for you to improve your management skills and the outcome your team delivers.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_00: The first tactic to deal with pressure at work is to know your pressure threshold.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: Everyone has different pressure thresholds.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_00: Enjoyable pressure at work for one person might be debilitating pressure for another.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_00: There are several traits that help us cope with stress.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_00: Having good self-awareness and emotional intelligence help.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_00: Being a resilient person helps.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: Getting to know yourself better helps you develop each of these and it helps you understand your own pressure threshold.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_00: Knowing your pressure threshold allows you to manage yourself better, to enable you to be cool-headed more often and less emotionally reactive, which can also be draining.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: There are many ways to get to know yourself a little better, to develop better self-awareness.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_00: Firstly, ask trusted colleagues for feedback on your performance under different levels of pressure.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_00: What do they notice?
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_00: How does your performance and behavior change?
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_00: It is really worth finding out.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_00: Secondly, ask friends and family the same questions.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_00: There are plenty of pressurized situations outside of work too.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_00: Third, spend time reflecting on your emotional reactions to different situations.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_00: How can you change your mindset to lower these reactions?
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_00: Fourth, take personality tests, which do give you some valuable insights into yourself.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: Fifth, undertake 360-degree feedback exercises, usually organized through HR or external parties.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_00: And sixth, get a mentor or a coach, which are both brilliant ways to find out more about yourself.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_00: As you get to know yourself better, you should become better at recognizing the situations and actions that increase the pressure you feel at work.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_00: Knowing what is happening gives you a better opportunity to develop coping tactics to reduce the pressure or stress you feel.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: Start using these tactics well before the pressure beat levels become too much.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_00: Know your own pressure thresholds and what causes you to feel under pressure at work.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: The second tactic to deal with pressure at work is to prioritize ruthlessly.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_00: Many feel under pressure when the tasks and projects you need to do mount up and you just don't have time to do them all.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_00: I certainly feel pressurized in these situations.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: In the endless drive of companies to do more with less, we all face this situation.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_00: Here are a couple of tactics that can help you prioritize.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_00: Firstly, create a 2x2 quadrant with the urgency of tasks on one axis and the importance of tasks on the other axis.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_00: You can then group all the tasks on your list into one of the four boxes.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_00: First, the important and urgent tasks should be the first you tackle and complete.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_00: Second, the important but not urgent tasks should be diarised so you can make sure you get to these and spend enough time and energy delivering them.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_00: Third, the urgent but not important tasks.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_00: Look to delegate as many of these as you can and do them after all the important tasks have been completed.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_00: Fourth, the not urgent and unimportant tasks.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_00: See if you can simply not do them or to delegate them to others.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_00: This is one way to prioritize your tasks.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_00: Another key discipline to get into is to select the most important and most urgent task and then work on completing this task before doing anything else.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_00: Once the task at the top is completed, then you can move on to the next most important or the next most urgent task and complete this.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_00: Keep moving down the list.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_00: Complete each current task before moving on to the next.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_00: I know this sounds easy.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_00: It is until the task at the top is one you don't like doing, and the more interesting tasks are available further down your priority list.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_00: Keep the main thing the main thing.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_00: Don't allow yourself to get distracted.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_00: Ruthlessly prioritize your tasks and complete each task before moving on to the next task.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_00: The third tactic to deal with pressure at work is to turn big tasks into small tasks.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_00: I'm sure everyone has been given a project or a task that looks like a nightmare, or appears really hard, or you have no idea where to start.
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_00: Your mind seizes up with panic and the pressure levels rise.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_00: Take a big breath and start thinking about the next step you could take on the journey to achieving the goal that you've been given.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_00: Think small, think about what is actionable quickly.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_00: Breaking down a big task into lots of smaller tasks is mentally a lifesaver.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_00: Mentally a speed bump is much easier to get over than a big hill.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_00: The pressure you feel will reduce as a result.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_00: You can think more clearly and start taking useful action.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_00: For example, you need to change a process that is not working well and costing the company thousands a day.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_00: The first step might be establishing and documenting exactly what the current process is.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: This is a much more straightforward step and a small step to take and is entirely within your control.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_00: Do this step and you gain confidence and a better understanding of the problem.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_00: The next step might be to understand what's going wrong or why we're losing money.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_00: Again, a manageable step that you can take and it deepens your understanding.
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_00: Then you can start looking at the options to improve the process.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_00: Whenever you come across a sizable project or task, break this down into bite-sized tasks.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_00: Aim to identify the first sensible step and take it.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_00: Then take the next small step.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_00: Before you know it, you'll be well on your way to completing the main goal and confident about doing so successfully.
• 7:15
  SPEAKER_00: So turn big tasks into lots of smaller tasks.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_00: The fourth tactic to deal with pressure at work is to set boundaries and be clear on expectations.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_00: In today's world of hybrid working and working from home, the boundaries between work and relaxing time are even more blurred than before.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_00: Set personal boundaries so you allow yourself to switch off and relax.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_00: This could be going for a gym class after work each night, or it could be meeting friends or doing activities that are not work-related on certain nights of each week.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_00: Set boundaries that give you some downtime that get you away from the work mentally and physically.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_00: Give yourself time to recharge will mean that when you are at work, you'll have more energy, more drive and more mental space to deal with the challenges.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_00: Just as important is to find out exactly what the expectations are on you from your manager, from the team members around you, and from other stakeholders.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_00: A lot of pressure is created from simply not knowing or having unclear expectations.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_00: If expectations are unrealistic, then you can work to make them realistic with the person placing those expectations on you.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_00: The fifth tactic to deal with pressure at work is to know how and when to ask for help.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_00: When the pressures are too high or they're rapidly heading that way, then asking for help is a very sensible tactic.
• 8:36
  SPEAKER_00: Who to ask for help will depend on your circumstances, the strength of your relationships at work, and the company culture.
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_00: I appreciate that asking for help in some organizations can have career impacting consequences.
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_00: There are many people you can ask for help inside and outside of your work.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_00: Work out who is best able to help you with your situation.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_00: Even just being able to talk about what is happening can reduce the pressure and stress you are feeling.
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_00: Here are some people you should consider asking for help.
• 9:06
  SPEAKER_00: Firstly, speak to your manager.
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_00: Your manager should be the first person you speak to about the pressures you are under.
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_00: Ask their help to reduce the pressure at work or at least stopping it increasing.
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_00: Your manager is also best placed to help you in most organizations.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_00: Providing help and support should be a very important part of their role.
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_00: Secondly, ask colleagues for help.
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_00: Colleagues you trust or who owe you favors should be another source of help and support.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_00: Ask them to help you out.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_00: Offer to repay them the favour in the future.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_00: Third, ask your peers.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_00: If you are friendly with one or more of your peers, they can be an excellent source of help and advice.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_00: They're in a similar position to you and probably understand pretty well the pressures you're under.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_00: They may even have very useful solutions to share that have worked for them.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_00: Fourth, ask contacts outside of work.
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_00: Having a business network outside of work is a great source of help and support.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_00: Getting help from your network will not impact your career negatively and is a lot safer than asking people in work.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_00: The downside is that they can only indirectly help you reduce pressure at work.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_00: Lastly, find a mentor or coach.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_00: Mentors and coaches can both be excellent sources of help and support for your personal situation.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_00: Both routes provide confidential support and help even if your company is paying for them.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_00: There are other options.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_00: If you feel the pressures at work are getting too much, take action and get help as early as possible.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_00: Leaving it too late does not help you professionally or personally.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_00: Sixth, to help you deal with pressures at work, here are nine pressure management techniques.
• 10:43
  SPEAKER_00: Keeping pressure and stress to manageable levels is good news for you and those working around you.
• 10:48
  SPEAKER_00: Here are nine pressure management techniques that work for many.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_00: Try them all and see which combination works best for you.
• 10:56
  SPEAKER_00: Firstly, take deep breaths.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_00: More oxygen into the body is calming, and taking deep rhythmic breaths is easy to do in nearly any situation.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_00: Make use of this very simple technique.
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_00: Second, get organized.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_00: Organizing gives you a sense of control and plan of action.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_00: These alone are good to calm you down and reduce the pressure.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_00: I get super organized as the pressure rises, it really works.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_00: Third, take a walk around the block.
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_00: This is one of my favorites and walking is very good to calm you down.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_00: Steve Jobs was a famous user of this technique.
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_00: Pop out for 5-10 minutes to take a short walk.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_00: Fourth, get better at saying no.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_00: Say no to more work, say no to popping into that extra meeting.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_00: And don't say no flat out, say something like, I'm very sorry, I maxed out with X project and I don't have any additional time until next Wednesday.
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_00: Can we talk about it then?
• 11:51
  SPEAKER_00: Fifth, do the work to a good enough standard.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_00: Perfection is not needed.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_00: When you know exactly what is expected of you from your boss and others, it is much easier to meet those expectations without going too far beyond them.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_00: Don't aim for perfection.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_00: Aim for good enough particularly when you're under pressure.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_00: 6.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_00: Build exercise into your daily routine.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_00: Taking regular exercise helps reduce pressure on that you feel and it makes you feel healthier, stronger, and gives you more energy.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_00: All good reasons to make 30 minutes or more of exercise a daily part of your routine.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_00: 7.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_00: Eat well.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_00: A demanding job takes up a lot of your energy.
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_00: Your food gives you energy.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_00: The better your diet, the more energy you have.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_00: So eat well and eat healthily.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_00: You'll have more energy to tackle the causes of stress and pressure at work.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_00: 8.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_00: A good night's sleep cures a lot.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_00: When you're under pressure, it is tempting to work very late.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_00: All the screen time, the stress and pressure can easily reduce the hours you sleep.
• 12:52
  SPEAKER_00: A vicious circle develops.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_00: Do your absolute best to get a good night's sleep.
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_00: You'll think more clearly and have more energy and be more productive.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_00: 9.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_00: Practice calmness.
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_00: Be mindful of your own emotional reactions to situations.
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_00: Practice reframing your mindset when confronted with these situations so you manage your emotional reactions better.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_00: A simple example, think of successfully overcoming the exciting challenges rather than dreading the work involved.
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_00: If you have additional pressure management techniques that work for you, I'd love you to leave a comment in the comment section below sharing these.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_00: So, in summary, dealing with pressure at work is a skill that each of us need to build, regardless of what job we do.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_00: How we deal with pressure needs to be tailored to our own personality and our attributes.
• 13:42
  SPEAKER_00: We each have our own pressure thresholds, and getting to know these and the signs we're heading towards these thresholds is a very important step.
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_00: As a reminder, we have gone through today.
• 13:53
  SPEAKER_00: Firstly, know your pressure threshold.
• 13:56
  SPEAKER_00: Secondly, prioritize ruthlessly.
• 13:58
  SPEAKER_00: Third, turn big tasks into small tasks.
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_00: Fourth, set boundaries and be clear on expectations.
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_00: Fifth, how and when to ask for help, and then sixth, nine pressure management techniques.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_00: Do try out all the pressure management techniques outlined.
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_00: See which ones you like best and which work best for you.
• 14:17
  SPEAKER_00: And if you have any questions, please drop me an email at support at enhance.training and I'll get back to you.
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks for listening, and I look forward to speaking to you again soon.