This program weaves together the critical skills for optimal performance, across weeks or months to enable measurable improvement. It consists of six segments that stand alone as well as build on each other.
"Productive insight; clear (often sudden)
understanding of a complex situation." Free Dictionary
Pop the bubble of conditioned
thinking and emerge into the creative realm of "no absolutes," continuous
change, uncertainty and unlimited possibilities.
Then, there can be innovation,
adaptation and optimal performance.
Performance & Open-minded Mindfulness:
Open-minded: questioning everything,
accepting diversity and uncertainty.
Mindful: consciously aware; concentrated.
Foundation for blending process, project,
engagement and knowledge management into a cohesive approach to optimize
performance.
This Newsletter
Our aim is to stimulate the kind of thinking, dialogue and understanding that leads to optimal performance.
Stress is Inevitable; Manage it Well By George Pitagorsky
Can we be stress free? Maybe. But, until we reach that state, we need to get really good at managing the stress that is part of our lives.
Some stress is natural and unavoidable. It is how we perceive it and react to our perception that takes unavoidable stress to another level.
There is a parable about being hit by two arrows: the first arrow is the unavoidable stress, for example, stepping on a tack. The second arrow is the avoidable, self imposed stress that comes from tightening up around the pain, complaining, seeking retribution, being angry at oneself for stepping on the tack or at the person who put it there, or being afraid that it might happen again. The second arrow is what we could call negative stress or anxiety. It is the kind of stress that leads to unpleasant physical and psychological results. This type of stress is avoidable.
The bad news: stress is unavoidable. The good news: the most harmful stress is avoidable
What Stress is
Stress is the body's reaction to a stimulus. The stimulus may be a change that requires a physical, mental or emotional adjustment or response. Stress is related to a change in the normal dynamic equilibrium that our bodies need for healthy operation. As external changes (stressors) occur, our body responds so as to maintain equilibrium. The response takes the form of the release of chemicals that create physiological effects such as rapid heartbeat, heightened awareness, etc.
Stress may be positive or negative. Positive stress is what excites and energizes us. For example, a challenging opponent in a game is a stressor but one that can have the effect of motivating performance excellence. Damaging stress is stress that goes beyond our tolerance level or is chronic.
When stress is chronic or constant the chemical reactions result in physical symptoms such as ulcers, immune system dysfunction, heart disease, sleep disorders, headaches, etc. Emotional and behavioral symptoms that result from overstress or chronic stress include anxiety, eating disorders, substance abuse, anger and depression, among others. When stress is short lived but very intense, the symptoms can include panic, and unpredictable behavior.
What can we do about it? On a personal level we can manage stress in a number of ways. There are exercise and diet, the right foods and supplements, meditation, living a balanced life with sufficient time for rest, recreation, and meaningful work. All of these in the right measures help to keep body and mind healthy, enable higher stress thresholds and counteract the negative effects of stress. Laughter is a great stress reliever. Find the cosmic humor underlying it all.
Change Your Mind Arguably the most effective stress management technique is changing your mind; your attitude and perspective. Remember that second arrow. That kind of self imposed stress can be eliminated by changing thoughts about the primary stressor. Attitude is critical.
One person's excitement is another's intense, harmful stress. One person breaks down under the stress of uncertainty or tight deadlines while another comes alive, innovates and excels. Clearly it is not the stress that is good or bad. Perception conditions the response.
How do we change our perception? First we acknowledge that it is possible to do so. Then we change the thoughts that elicit avoidable tension. For example, if we face tight deadlines instead of letting the mind be run by thoughts about how terrible missing the deadline will be and what will happen to us for failing, we impose thoughts of success and that simply doing the best we can is enough. We step back for a moment, take a few deep relaxing breaths and "get centered."
We focus on the present as opposed to the future. We relax into the effort. We think positively. We stop clinging to thoughts like "things would be better if ..." We seek to accept, what we cannot change, to change the things we can and to be wise enough to tell the difference between them.
Begin to think of it all as a game, a serious high stakes game, but still a game.
Paradox - Accept the Current Situation and Work for Change
At the same time that we can reduce the impact of a stressful situation by changing our thoughts and accepting things as they are, we can act to change the situation in the future. If we can identify the causes of negative stress we may be able to do something about them.
Lack of clarity about what is expected, fear of punishment for not achieving what is expected, having no outlet for anger and frustration, uncertainty, these are the real stressors. They in turn result from unskillful attitudes and beliefs, leading to unproductive behavior that either makes things worse or hides the anxiety/stress for the time being. As managers, leaders or peers we work to change the structures (habits, policies, values, etc.) that influence these factors. For example, we stop setting and accepting infeasible objectives. We stop the blame game.
Accepting Reality The key to managing stress is accepting the reality that everything is in constant change and that our identification with a false sense of self causes us to suffer with anxiety. We create our own stress. We can stop doing so by stepping back and seeing our situation objectively. Then we can choose to accept the pain or discomfort of the moment and do what is necessary to stay focused and centered so that we can remove unnecessary, avoidable stress.
We choose to see our stress causing thoughts and to change them. We condition ourselves to enhance our resilience and tolerance for stress. We cut through by seeing the humor in it all. We do what we can to remove or reduce the stressors.
"My call for a spiritual revolution is not a call for a religious revolution, nor for a way of life that is otherworldly - still less to something magical or mysterious. It is a call for a radical reorientation away from our habitual preoccupation with self, a call to turn toward the wider community of beings with whom we are connected, and for conduct which recognizes others' interests alongside our own."
