What I consider the most important aspect of stress is the narrowing of our minds. In our modern society our reactions to stress is often counter productive. The more complex the situation the more important it is that our minds are working at their peak capacity. But the stress we feel when put under pressure is instead producing another result. While we can probably solve the problem presented to us with our heightened focus, the solution is likely to be flawed or even really bad because it is constructed in a very single minded way.
One of the most complex undertakings we are involved in is human interaction. An offhand remark can damage relationships for years and the way our communication work is full of faults and shortcomings that could cause misunderstandings of epic proportions if not watched. So when we are swamped with things to do and occupy our mind with, we tend to loose a whole lot of our ability to interact with others. In a team working environment the effects can be devastating if the team leader is so stressed that the human interaction gets shuffled down the priority ladder.
One very clear example of how this has been recognized and combated is if you look at some of the high stress situation that we have in the world. At the very top (or at least close to it) is the job of leading others in a combat situation. While fighting for your life and seeing friends and comrades fall, you are supposed to be able to make calculated wise decisions and to communicate those decisions clearly to the rest of the team. To achieve this there is a set of words and word structures that are set and standardized with a very clear meaning. (You didn’t think that the military talk was there because soldiers don’t know how to talk did you?)
Now we return to a situation that might be a bit more familiar for most of you. The project. You are a part of a project that were going along just fine and on schedule. Everything was well and everyone was doing their part and enjoying it. Now comes the snag. Part of the project has to be scraped and redone from scratch. Three people are involved in this. The two people that are working on that particular part of the project and the project manager. The project manager is the one that gets the most stressed. He is the one who is ultimately responsible for delivering a finished product on time.
What happens now. From the top down the stress will start to spread. Yes you read that right – stress is contagious. The project manager will now be under a constantly heightened stress level which reduces his ability to handle the complex task of leading the project and its participants. The more or less frictionless teamwork that has been there since kick-off is now under strain. Mistakes are more likely to happen. The all out efficiency is going down in the time when it is most needed. When the second thing goes wrong and conflicts start to emerge, the project is doomed. Even if a product is delivered on the predetermined time, it will never be as good as it should be.
If you are a social creature, which most of us are. Then the effect off stress on ourselves and those around us are harmful in more than results. Our relationships suffer and that means that we take damage as well. A stressful situation is so much more than a lot of tasks to be done. It is a mindset that seeps into us and permeates who we are. If your stress from work is brought home and results in a bad relationship with your family, you will be hard pressed to get back to being that cheerful, hard working and productive individual that everyone knows. Never underestimate the danger of stress.
While I really feel that stress is the spice that makes my work good, it is my ability to switch off the stress that makes it useful to me. It is when I loose that control that things go bad. In the next post I will focus on what we can do to handle this state of mind that can so easily and effectively affect us.
