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Volume 4, Number 4 February 21, 2003
http://www.psychologyforbusiness.com/
Psychology for Business is a free e-mail newsletter written by
Dr. John Weaver,
Dr. Lynda Dahlke, and Dr. Paul Glass,
business psychologists and independent consultants. It is published bi-weekly.
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STRESS AND DECISIONS
by Dr. John Weaver, Business Psychologist and Executive Coach
Decisions are the product of leadership. When there is a poor process of decision-making in place, it is difficult to achieve a consistently high-quality result of effective decisions. And when organizations are under stress, there is great pressure on the decision-making process. It is important to understand these changes and how they may affect the decisions that are made.
As you read this article, I suggest you place your tongue firmly in your cheek. If you are not in the mood for an irreverent look at business decisions made under stress, there will be another Psychology for Business newsletter coming in two weeks….
9 ways to let stress guide your decisions:
LESSON: During stress, thoughts tend toward the extremes. Either/or thoughts facilitate the quick decisions that increase survival during truly dangerous times. These thoughts are also too simplistic for the complex realities of the real business world. Take time to breathe and find some possible courses of action that are between the extremes.
LESSON: Thoughts of gloom and doom predominate during the times of high stress. This thought process was useful to break through the denial that might have prevented our ancestors from taking action to avoid a disaster. In the modern world, we have a tendency to see what we expect to see. This can blind us to the strengths that exist within our organization. It is useful to search for the good aspects of our organization when the stress rises.
LESSON: Teamwork breaks down when stresses are intense. This is an unfortunate reality because the power of the group is uniquely helpful at this time. The time for building teamwork, however, is when times are more calm and relaxed. When good teams are in place, there is a coherence and support that dramatically improves the response to stress.
LESSON: Danger prepares us to see more danger. Once we are in that frame of mind, we begin to interpret neutral events as being both hostile and aimed at harming us. In truly dangerous situations that tendency can be a bias that keeps us safe. In not-really-dangerous situations, these thoughts cause us to attribute bad intentions to others when they are neutral or even positive toward us.
LESSON: It is difficult, during these times, to make the effort to carefully think through priorities. We often find it difficult to keep thing in proper proportion. Minor problems seem to be very important. It requires work (work that is worth the effort) to maintain a sense of proportion.
LESSON: Under extreme stress, people want a strong and confident leader. The uncertainties seem less threatening when there is someone who takes charge and sets a definitive course of action. When that stress is acute (i.e. a predator is attacking or a volcano is erupting) strong and definitive leadership can be life saving. In the more complex, modern world strong and definitive action may be achieved only at the expense of oversimplification of the facts of the situation. That often leads to long term disaster. Effective leadership in highly stressful but complex situations must remain open to and even solicit alternative points of view to make solid choices.
LESSON: Quick action when we are being physically attacked is an important tool of survival. The impulsivity associated with this type of action makes it unpredictable and potentially confuses the attacker. The focus is broad because there is a potential that the attacker we see is accompanied by other attackers we have not yet noticed, so it would be maladaptive to be too focused on one point of reference. As a result, we are primed to take action when we are under stress. It is difficult to get quiet and to engage in careful analysis. It takes practice to quiet ourselves and focus.
LESSON: The entire body gears up for a physical confrontation during times of stress. For our ancestors, this physical confrontation was a nearly universal experience when danger threatened. Enemies were engaged face to face in combat. Even the natural disasters required a physical response to run away or to migrate to a different land to escape danger. Today’s stress rarely results in a need to make a physical response. Yet our bodies are geared up, through thousands of years of evolution, to respond with physical aggression. It often seems like aggression is the right response when we are stressed. It turns out to often be the wrong response in the long run.
LESSON: During times of real emergencies, the immediate response was the only response that mattered. If we do not survive, nothing else matters. Real emergencies are rarer than the emergencies we perceive in our heads. During times of stress it is easy to become so focused on the immediate situation that we can lose sight of the “bigger picture” that guides our organization. It is important to remember that there is a very high likelihood that our company will survive this stress, and if it does, then the long term implications are very important.
Stress happens. If we are to live in the real world, there will be challenges and pressures that are associated with the work that we do. It is tempting to believe that if we could just get everything to go right we could eliminate all difficulties. In truth, the challenges and pressures are often opportunities to grow or become stronger.
However, these same stresses are also times that can bring out the worst in us.
Our response to stress is grounded in ancient patterns of behavior. Our ancestors were frequently confronted with life and death issues that required emergency responses. The inability to recognize and respond to stress led to early death, which meant that those who did not act did not pass their genes along to the next generation. We are the children of those who dealt well with life and death decisions.
Somewhere between the savannahs of Africa and our modern world, however, conditions changed. We no longer face life and death decisions as often, we simply think as though we still do. When we are under stress, our survival mechanisms push us to react as though our life depended on it. This has implications for our physical health, but it also has effects on our thought processes (how we come to decisions).
These ancient processes push us toward either/or thinking, catastrophizing, becoming self-absorbed while interpreting others’ actions as containing hostile intentions, losing our sense of proportionality, making impulsive decisions and attempting to force those decisions on to others. All of these thought processes had survival value during an attack by predators, but can have disastrous consequences in the business environment.
If you are like most readers, you will quickly recognize someone in your company who engages in these stress-induced reactions. It is much harder to see these reactions in ourselves, but we all fall prey to them. They are the reactions that are automatic, but we are capable of raising our awareness to a conscious level and make choices that are more helpful for the circumstances in which we work.
On Executive Coaching: "If ever stressed-out corporate America could use a little couch-time, it’s now. Trust in big companies is at an all-time low. Baby-boomers have been burned; Gen Xers aren’t expecting the Corporation to take care of them. Under the circumstances, employees are much likelier to go outside and get independent advice to help them be better managers" Karen Cates, Assistant Professor of Organizational Behavior, Northwestern’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management.
Did you know that executive coaching is not geographically limited? Coaching by telephone is effective. It is also an efficient use of time and resources. You never need to leave your office to travel, nor do you need to pay travel expenses for your coach. We offer coaching either onsite or by telephone. To find out if coaching is right for you, contact us to schedule a FREE 1/2 hour consultation. Or request a price sheet to determine the best value for your organization. Call us at: (262) 789-2728 or email us at mailto:jweaver@psychologyforbusiness.com.
About the Author
John Weaver, Psy.D. is a
licensed psychologist with 22 years’ professional experience working with
organizations, groups, and individuals. He has experience leading groups and
creating teamwork in
organizations. His areas of expertise include executive
coaching, conflict resolution, coaching teams and individuals
to
improve performance under stress, assessing employees and potential employees
to
ensure the right person for the right job, and training in
stress management and "The Vitamin
C’s for an Emotionally Healthy Workplace." He is an experienced
professional speaker and
published author.
Based in Waukesha, WI, Dr. John Weaver is
available for consultation or executive coaching by phone, e-mail or in person. He may be
reached at (262) 789-2728 (office) or (414) 491-8719 (cell), by e-mail:
mailto:jweaver@psychologyforbusiness.com or:
John Weaver, Psy.D.
Psychology for Business
2717 North Grandview Boulevard, Suite 303
Waukesha, Wisconsin, 53188
10 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Coach is now available by visiting http://www.psychologyforbusiness.com/questions.htm.
Also receive your copy of 9 Ways to Motivate Your Workforce by visiting http://www.psychologyforbusiness.com/motivate.htm.
If you are interested in having Dr. Weaver speak for your organization, contact him at mailto:jweaver@psychologyforbusiness.com?subject=SPEAK .
To order your copy of the book, MANAGING DIFFICULT PERSONALITIES IN THE WORKPLACE: A Manager’s Practical Guide, by Dr. Paul Kenneth Glass, send your name, address, number of copies desired and a check made out to Dr. Paul Kenneth Glass for $12 per book (plus $2 shipping per book). Or order 10 or more copies for $10 per book and $6.95 for shipping (up to 50 copies). No fluff, this book gets right to the point. Send orders to:
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Psychology for Business
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Psychology for Business
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Waukesha, WI 53188
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© Copyright 2002. All rights reserved. John Weaver. Distribution rights: The above material is copyrighted, but you may retransmit or distribute it to whomever you wish as long as not a single word is changed, added or deleted, including the contact information. If you would like to reprint part of this newsletter please contact me at mailto:jweaver@psychologyforbusiness.com to make arrangements.
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Dr. John Weaver publishes another newsletter, co-authored by Darlene Weaver, THE CENTERED PENDULUM. It is our firm belief that lifelong patterns of “being” (personality, attitudes, emotions) and “doing” (lifestyle, adaptability, coping skills) interact with our genes and environment to create conditions of a healthy or a diseased brain. If you would like to read previous issues of the Centered Pendulum newsletter or to subscribe, please visit the archives at http://www.centeredpendulum.org/newsletters.htm.