I might have to turn in my "man card", but sometimes I watch figure skating . A friend of mine use to make fun of me. He said, "it might be more fun to watch if someone periodically tossed handfuls of ball bearings on the ice during the routines". Every once in a while you come across a couple who are really good. The guy skates all around flipping the girl up and around but at no time does either one show the slightest sign of stress. If "grace under pressure" needed an example, it is in a well executed routine. A routine last about three minutes or so. When its flawless, its excellent.
When I think back on people who impressed me the most, they usually were the ones who didn't panic when times got tough. I've worked for many bosses in the Army who would "sweat the load" anytime something stressful happened.
I've dealt with employees who panicked when faced with challenging situations. I've coached supervisors who either scream at troublesome employees or hide in their offices afraid to confront them. There is something to be said for people who assertively face a crisis head-on and make it look like it's routine.
How you do that varies by individual of course, but I've found a couple ways to help handle pressure with grace:
1. Breath deep. I've heard that breathing deeply increases the oxygen flow to your brain. When you're brain is firing on all cylinders, you'll be able to make a better decision when things are falling apart.
2. Resist the urge to panic. Several years ago, I was buying a snack at a 7-11 store. I heard a woman screaming from the back of the store. When I ran back to investigate, it was an old lady who was trapped in the beer cooler. I opened the door and she hugged me proclaiming that I saved her life. Turns out she panicked back there and rather than push on the door handle, kept pulling it toward her giving her the feeling she was trapped. Don't be the old lady in the freezer.
3. Put on a stiff upper lip. Making the choice to be cool under stress means that you're gearing up for it and will be more equipped to handle it. Wipe the "drama" off your face and make something happen. The people around you will feed off of your confidence.
4. Realize that nobody's going to die. How bad is the crisis? If there's not a chance of death, you can recover. If death is a possible outcome, you have my permission to panic a little, but not until after the crisis is averted. Just don't let anyone see you do it.That's grace under pressure.
Got grace? I hope so.
I can't tell you how many times someone will say 'you look cool under this pressure' while I'm sweating bullets underneath. But it gives confidence to those around, and if it doesn't help the situation, it sure isn't hindering the situation.
ReplyDeleteI was once told to look at issues in this light, 'in the realm of everything in the world, how important is this?' Another words, regardless of how big it might seem right this moment, it's going to be insignificant later on. How many of those real crises moments in our lives can we really remember? Most of them were momentary instances that were fleeting.
Keep up the good thoughts Tracy!
Dennis