You feel the pressure? Working hours are constant deadlines, competing priorities, work overload, long irritated nerves frazzled employees, etc., you go crazy?
A recipe for trouble
Pressure Cooker
Many companies are responding to the current difficult economic situation, becoming a frenzy of activity, many of them non-productive. At the same time are seeking to: reduce costs, increase profits, reduce wages, increase productivity,improve competitiveness, increase market share, customer base and maintain a number of other initiatives. Of course, all this must be done immediately if not sooner.
The justification for this is, reportedly, the economic collapse that began in 2008th But companies, in general, less stable, less reactive and have been thinking ahead for years. Long-term planning, strategic alignment, participatory management, analysis method, and allToo often, care has been "thrown to the wind."
A cooking class
Pressure cookers tender their content, often a stew, because the content (ingredients) due to excessive heat, steam and pressure for a period of time, content to break up and become soft. This concept can be extended by analogy to the workplace, where the ingredients are a bit 'fragile employees.
A remedy
The police, fire and otherFirst Responder understand that the first steps in the control of a chaotic and dangerous situation, the situation must be evaluated, and "stop action" (ie, containment). This is necessary to neutralize the situation and reduce the ', people's emotions and activities to a manageable level, so that rational agents are introduced. If the forces were about to succumb to chaos, lose their ability to solve the problem. You must arrange to "stop the action" receive gain control,Tricks. Of course they are trained to handle emergencies and to think rationally under pressure. Most managers are not.
For many years, executives have said that "retreat" where they could from day to day pressures and responsibilities, drop, and hopefully get the balance and restoration prospect of visiting the positive energy. But the ability and willingness to "retreat", the pressure to compromise by the inexorableto work. Of course, if not immersed in the problems that we intuitively recognize that continuing to "fight fire" is ultimately counterproductive. Similar gains control of a massive forest fires, it requires a methodical planning, coordination of activities, significant resources and guidance.
Some ideas and suggestions
We can all learn to better deal with the crisis. We can regain our sensibility and perspective when we remember, not just as a lot of fear,overwhelmed and intimidated by the circumstances. In most situations, the economy is not "life threatening" - important, yes, but not an immediate danger to life and health. to act accordingly, and the lessons learned from people who deal daily real emergencies. First assessment of the circumstances, then "stop action" to stabilize the situation, protect themselves and others from harm. Then take corrective action, call for "back up" if necessary, to gather facts and information, and quiet, with moreProblem-solving. Do not make others around you fool, you buy into the hysteria, you demonstrate your position as a leader, inspire confidence, and get on with the business of solving problems and rational plans for the future. A "pressure cooker in the kitchen, not in the office.
Copyright © 2009, Dr. Ben A. Carlsen, MBA. All rights reserved throughout the world to all media. You can use this article in your ezine, newsletter, newspapers, magazines, websites,etc., provided you leave all links active, do not change the article in any way to leave my name and bio box intact, and follow all of the EzineArticles Terms of Use for publishers.
The pressure cooker
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