See It, Own It, Use It

Stress can actually be helpful.

I still get nervous before any big presentation. It's similar to the jitters you feel before a performance. While it can be a bit uncomfortable in the moment--my heart starts racing and it can get so bad that I am literally shaking--I also feel that without some nerves you end up lacking energy and vitality.

This article from Science of Us discusses actual research comparing two groups of students. The group that was told that stress could be helpful actually performed better.

Science of Us: Why Olympic Athletes Shouldn't Try to Calm Down

Here's one excerpt:

What’s interesting, though, is that a burgeoning scientific literature suggests that, when it comes to high-pressure, high-stakes task, trying to stay calm probably isn’t the best approach. In fact, it’s more likely to trip you up than to help you. It’s better, this research argues, to embrace your anxiety, but to reframe how to look at it — to take it as a sign that your body is getting ready to help you perform at the highest level. Now, there is a kernel of truth to the idea that anxiety can be harmful: If you’re extremely anxious, you probably won’t perform at a high level. But experts who study the psychology of performance under stress now believe that the goal shouldn’t be to get rid of your anxiety altogether, but rather to get it to a moderate level, and to then use it to your advantage.

A key point:

What mindset intervention research seems to find, over and over and over, is that contrary to the popular idea that stress is always bad and harmful (in the worst cases, deadly even), there’s a vitally important middle step between experiencing stress and responding to it: how you expect to respond to it. Your mindset with regard to stress is a strikingly powerful predictor of what stress will do to you, in other words.

Here is the three-step process:

1. See it. This entails simply recognizing that you are feeling anxious, and naming the source of your anxiety it a clear, explicit way. As the Crums put it, “[Y]ou might simply say to yourself: ‘I’m stressed about my son failing school.’ … Or ‘I’m stressed about my husband’s recent health diagnosis.’” For the sprinter, it could be something as simple as: “I’m nervous because this is a really important race.”

2. Own it. “The key to ‘owning’ your stress is to recognize that we tend to stress more, and more intensely, about things that matter to us,” write the Crums. You are stressed-out because the thing in question matters to you, or because it is somehow connected to something that does, by definition. This seems to have the effect of shifting people from pondering failure to reflecting on how a given source of stress matters to them, and what success might mean. For the sprinter, again, this is easy: “I’m stressed out because competing at the highest possible level is really important to me, I’ve been preparing for this race for years, and medaling in an Olympic event has always been a dream of mine.”

3. Use it. Time for some myth-busting about what stress is, and what it does to human bodies. “Contrary to what you might think,” write the Crums, “the body’s stress response was not designed to kill us. In fact, the evolutionary goal of the stress response was to help boost the body and mind into enhanced functioning, to help us grow and meet the demands we face.” Yes, in certain situations stress can be harmful, but again, as the aforementioned experiments showed: how you interpret it makes a huge difference. So now, when you’re feeling stressed, would be a good time to remember that stress brings all sorts of physiological benefits, that it releases hormones and increases the flow of blood and oxygen and does all sorts of other stuff that helps us prepare for the task ahead and perform better while it’s under way. The anxiety I’m feeling is going to help my body help me with this race, the sprinter might think to himself. It isn’t even anxiety, really — it’s excitement, anticipation at what my body can do when I train hard, which I have done, and when I push it to its limits, which I’m about to do.

None of this is particularly complicated, and it’s as useful for an office worker as it is for an Olympic sprinter. But even after you learn it, it’s easy to forget it given the chaos — and, yes, stress and anxiety — of everyday life. As with any habit, repetition matters: Make a point of reminding yourself, whenever possible, that anxiety doesn’t get to call the shots; you have the power to redefine it, to make it work for you, whether you’re getting into your stance for the race of your life or standing up to make an important presentation.

Teachers as performers

Original post:  Nov 20, 2014

Earlier this week, I heard a radio story talking about how some teachers are incorporating performance into their routines. They are trying to move away from the standard lecture format into more of an active, theatrical style.

My wife is a teacher and she agrees with the basic idea. Teaching is a difficult job even when you have engaged, willing students. This often thankless task becomes even more challenging when you layer complicated subject matter on top of disinterested pupils. If you can find different ways to make your material come alive for your target audience, I think you can surprise them with how much they can absorb!

There are many situations in our own work lives where we will have to teach others. It may be centered on a specific role or job. It might be informing a larger team about our role in a project. It might include a briefing to a steering committee or your sponsoring executive. Whatever the case, there is something to be learned by adopting the tactics in this article and "channeling your inner Springsteen". Of course, you can always substitute your preferred role model!

We may not all reach the heights of the fictional teacher Robin Williams plays in "Dead Poets Society." That doesn't mean we can't be inspiring in our own way.

Here is the link to the full radio story:  Channeling Springsteen: Teachers As Performers : NPR Ed : NPR

Raising our game

Original post:  Jan 16, 2014

I have recently participated in a number of different workstreams comprised of personnel from all across our company. Our teams have featured members from a wide range of departments and regions around the world.

If there is one constant in this swirl of activity, it is the incredible strength of each of those teams. I am fortunate to work with many talented individuals. While it may not always be immediately apparent, I have been involved in detailed, passionate discussions with many colleagues. We may not always agree, but it is refreshing to have my points challenged.

No matter what your profession is, I think there is a general tendency to perform to the level of your competition. If mediocre performance is acceptable, then that often becomes the standard. I can honestly say that over the past several years, the intensity and the challenge has grown tremendously. Along the way, the colleagues that I interact with have also raised their performance level to meet these tougher tasks.

As the year grinds on, I'll try to remember to stop every once in a while and appreciate just how amazing our team performance has been. It's easy to focus on the gentle glide of a bird in flight. It's also easy to forget all of the coordinated activity to keep struggling through the air.