STRESS!!!
One of the sections in Chapter 8 that I enjoy is Effective Stress Management (pp. 299-305). It offers an overarching definition of stress, and makes some interesting prescriptions. Take a moment and watch this video [ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rofEtZwGk5A ] from Harvard Business Publishing - it features and interview with Justin Menkes, the author of "Better Under Pressure." In light of your readings, and more importantly, your experiences, what do you think about Menkes' comments?
I haven't yet gotten all of the way through chapter 8 yet but I have scanned some of it and watched the youtube video. I did have some reactions and a lot of head nodding to Justin Menkes comments. I do believe, as he does, that people have the potential under the right circumstances to achieve higher than expected heights. I loved what he says in regards to the world being filled with constant pressures. I believe that the only thing that we have control of is our reactions to the stress that we are faced with. For myself stress has always been a motivator and has gotten me to the point that I am at today to a large degree. When I think about my experiences nothing has come easy and that's okay, I think that I appreciate it more. He ends his discussion with noting that the people that he studied for his book were very positive in all that they did and I think that this is a good indicator of what it takes to make it to the top amid the stress. The one thing that I did pick up on in the reading that is relevant to me is on page 303 and that would be learning to relax. This, I have to admit, needs work for me, I seem to be always planning the next thing.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first started reading the section of the textbook on Stress, I immediately agreed with the analogies on page 300 about the kite and the car engine which refers to how people function best at certain levels of stress, but break if we carry to much. Then as I was listening to the interview with Justin Menkes, he also mentioned something along the same lines;we like the challenge, but if we are overloaded then panic sets in. From experience I agree 100% with this statement. I notice that I am more motivated when I have a certain amount of work on my plate, but can feel myself letting panic set in when I get over my optimal level of stress (especially when unforeseen circumstances pop up)
ReplyDeleteMenkes also mentioned three attributes that leaders must master in order to be prepared for stress: realistic optimism, subservience to purpose, and finding order in chaos. Again, I could not agree more with this idea. Knowing your purpose does help you push through the stressful environment that we are sometimes placed in. And the reoccurring idea throughout the textbook that followers usually replicate the behaviour of their leader was also touched on by Menkes. He mentioned that once leaders master these attributes, then they must pass them on to their followers- which is definitely a key way to develop a successful entity. This is a good point that he makes because if you think about real life experiences of having a leader/boss that is apt to exhibit stressful behaviours, you know that this behaviour rubs off to you. But on the other hand, if you have a calm leader who is motivated by a certain amount of stress, you feel much more at ease and motivated as well.
Although Menkes’ presentation was short, he does make a couple of valid points. First he believes that leaders are prepared for pressure and that they handle pressure without panic. Second, leaders believe that problems can be solved.
ReplyDeleteRobert asked us to link this back to our own experiences, and so I will. I work for the CEO of School District 02, and this year was particularly difficult as 1,200 Moncton High School students were displaced to other area schools. Education is an area where stakeholders are VERY passionate, and since we have public education, stakeholders want a say. Well, if you were living in Moncton in the past year, you know that pretty much everyone had their say…several times. Through this, I had an excellent opportunity to see leadership in action. Essentially, Karen made the tough decisions based on what she knew was right and the best for students. To stay the course, though, was very stressful. The media was relentless, the meetings held were frequent and usually at night after long days were put in at work, the CEO had no personal space, being questioned by the public while grocery shopping, attending community events, and even during lunch at a restaurant. I asked her today what kept her going during this period. She said that first, she knew the decision that was made was the right one. Second, she knew that she would have to weather criticism from the public, and third, she was the one steering the ship, so she had to keep the seas calm for the employees.
Karen’s leadership under pressure or stress, would seem to mirror some comments made in our text and by Menke – that leaders have a stress tolerance, that persons with a high degree of self-complexity are less susceptible to common stress related complaints and that leaders seek innovative solutions to problems/possess creativity…among other attributes.
One last thing that Menke says is that successful CEO’s are deeply involved with people. That would be true in my case. I think that this is a reciprocal agreement. Good leaders lift others up, get to know them, and understand that the people ARE the organization. In return, CEO’s often get the pulse of the organization, feedback that can buffer them in tough times, and the sense that the decisions they make, even in stressful times, are the right ones.
I really enjoyed Menke's presentation. I agree with him when say that the world is a place of constant pressure. In today’s fast paced world, children are face with many pressures for example career choice in comparison to the generation of the past so the pressure of the world not only starts at a younger age but as well is so much more heavier. As far as my experiences go, call me crazy but I do enjoy a certain amount of pressure. With that being said I am mean adversity. When your put in situation that is extremely difficult and you make it out of that you can learn a lot about yourself and it really shows you what your made of. Like Menke said, unprepared pressure isn't good for you" but there are studies that show that a moderate amount of pressure is good to have and as humans we like challenge.
ReplyDeleteToward the end of Menek's presentation, I really enjoy what he had to say about leaders staying positive and optimistic. I believe that is very important for a leader to be positive during a time of crisis. When the followers are looking to the leader for guidance it doesn't look particularly good if the leader looks physically disturbed or if he or she displays negative attitudes towards the followers.
Again, from my experience in sports sometimes negative criticism under pressure can give birth to outstanding performances (i.e. Coach to player) and at the same time it can have the opposite effect. As a leader it is very important to know your personal and how you are going to handle different situations when it comes to motivating and dealing with pressure. Learning to be a good leader takes time and experience along with passion.
I like the part in the book about monitoring not only your own but your followers' stress levels. This is so important when attempting to maintain consistency in a team. A stressed and frustrated team member can be toxic in a work environmennt. This is a good opportunity, as a leader, to offer the use of EAP services that may be available or even just open the lines of communication which may help to relieve some of their stress. The important thing is to deal with these issues in a timely manner as to not allow it to affect the other team members or yourself as the leader.
ReplyDeleteI really liked Menkes's comment about taking the worst aspect of your job and consciously making an effort of exceling at it. I can really relate to this topic.
ReplyDeleteAt Rogers, everybody in the call center hates doing sales. (Especially cold calls). However, the people who grab the bull by the horns and excel at it stand out. In fact, out of the management team at my call center, 7 out of 11 current managers came from a sales background. The fact that they were good at the work that everybody else hated meant that they became less of a commodity and more of an asset.
Also, I am an avid baseball player. I can attest that the other baseball players who do excel at the annoying things in baseball (Like running laps before and after the game, doing long toss, etc.) always seem to be the players who stand out when it comes to game time. They also seem to be the players who tend to do the little things needed to win ball games such as laying down a sacrifice bunt.
On a side note, the little story on page301 (about the wheel of fortune girl) really cracked me up. The girl was up to $62,400 and blew it because she couldn’t guess the puzzle. Lol. Here’s the video… she was up to $62,400! Crazy !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9ipzzFQhYQ
I was reading the Globe and Mail online, and noticed that they had just published their list of Top 40 Under 40. The organization that conceived of the Top 40 Under 40, did so in order to recognize Canadian community leaders, who are under the age of 40. The selection is based on five criteria: vision and leadership; innovation and achievement; impact; growth and development strategy; and community involvement and contribution (sounds pretty similar to our text).
ReplyDeleteHere is a few of the comments that some of the winners made that they deem to be the “secrets of their success”:
I have passion for what I do and surround myself with great people, dare to dream and constantly think creatively to find “the better answer.” (I believe that you have only failed if you failed to try.) William Andrew, 39, Ontario
One important skill is the ability to anticipate and identify critical issues and ensure that they get addressed in a timely manner (what Peter Drucker referred to as getting the right things done). Kent Campbell, 39, Saskatchewan
Innovation and people help get me up in the morning. My energy comes from the people that surround me, and my motivation comes from the knowledge that through collaboration, creativity and commitment - anything is possible. Rob Drynan, 37, Ontario
I try to see obstacles as a chance to develop new solutions and opportunities. Linda Campbell, 39, Ontario
Synthesize: Absorb information from varied sources, assess it critically, and find new ways to approach the challenge. Listen carefully to your team and your gut. Christine Healy, 38, Newfoundland
Value your relationships, as they are your greatest asset. And have confidence: Your biggest regrets in life will be the risks you didn't take. Ali Pejman, 37, British Columbia
There are many more comments, and you can read them at http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/managing/top-40-under-40-2009/secrets-to-their-success/article1592554/page2/ if you are so inclined.
On thing I did notice when reading the comments, is that each person keeps the end goal in mind. As I mentioned in my earlier blog, this is one thing that helped the CEO of School District 02 to weather the storm, so to speak, this year with Moncton High School. She made a decision, was confident it was right, and never wavered from the end goal.
What do you think? Does this make sense?
It is interesting to see many comments related to the anticipation of critical issues, or the ability to be prepared for unexpected problems (problems/issues that cause stress). Being able to deal with stress is amongst the key components that lead to success; some people even consider this ability as their prime key to success. The small section about stress within the textbook does not do the topic justice, but once watching the interview with Menkes and reading everyone's experiences and research, I realized just how important it is to be able to deal with stress effectively. I don't have many stressful work experiences to share, but I can recall many university experiences, as can we all (although they are on a much smaller scale than a CEO). Perhaps that is where all these successful leaders started learning how to manage stress.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the comments by both Tommy and Heather. Tommy suggests that by practice, one can prepare for increased responsibility. Putting oneself in a stressful situation enables a person to adapt to the stress and perhaps normalize that level of stress. In other words, the leader probably adapts to greater and greater levels of stress along the way, and likely welcomes the stress as a way to grow. I think this exactly what Heather says, that although university studies are on a smaller scale than what the CEO experiences, you have to start somewhere. My boss Karen gave a speech this week, and in the speech she said that the only way to learn to lead is to lead. Tommy and Heather have made an excellent point.
ReplyDeleteGreat points everybody.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was pretty cool how Menkes and the text book both make a distinction between stress and panic. Based on my own observation, I would wager that a lot of people are unaware of the difference between the two different kinds of stress. Oftentimes, I’ll see somebody panic over something that does not warrant that type or reaction and it always makes me wonder if they are aware of their own stress level.
Something that really peaked my interest was the part the text book about learning how to relax (P303). It sounds kind of strange doesn’t it? (Having to learn how to relax) At first, I thought that this section was kind of strange.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I did some research and found out that there are entire classes devoted to learning how to relax. In fact, when somebody is granted stress leave from Rogers, they must attend 3 relaxation and stress management courses in order to be reinstated/receive stress leave pay. .. Who knew ?
This discussion is now closed, thanks!
ReplyDelete