[토픽] 12월 29일 Topic (2)

[Vanessa.]

[Topic 2: How to work effectively under pressure]

A lot us may have the phrase ‘works well under pressure’ on our CVs, but how many of us can actually work effectively under a lot of pressure on the job? What evidence have you got to show how well you’ve dealt with a lot of work in a short space of time? If you’re not entirely sure, or you need some help in getting to grips with working well under pressure, then read my tips here.

Typical signs of not working well when under pressure in your job involve panicking, being tense, not communicating properly, and ultimately not meeting the deadline that needs to be met. Or if you do meet the deadline, you know that the quality of work you’ve produced isn’t up to your usual standard (which won’t go unnoticed).

The outcome isn’t the main focus

The overall goal you’re trying to achieve is important to be aware of, but ideally you need to be concentrating more on the task and not the big picture. Have a look at the steps you need to take to get the task done. Break the task down into smaller bitesize chunks of work and the overall job will appear to be more manageable and less daunting.

Don’t procrastinate!

If you know that what needs to be done is looming, get it out of the way as soon as you can. Avoid procrastinating or putting the task off because you’re just asking for more pressure than you actually need. Make a list of the most important tasks you need to complete for the day and deal with these first. Sometimes in your job this isn’t always possible to achieve.

What’s the worst that could happen?

What will happen if you don’t meet the deadline or complete the work to the standard that’s required? Realistically, what will actually happen? If the outcome you’re thinking of occurs, how will you deal with it? Can it be dealt with? If you realise that actually the worst case scenario isn’t too bad, you may feel less pressurised with the task at hand.

You’ve done this before, right?

It’s very likely that you’ve been under pressure before in another scenario and you’ve managed to get through it. How did you get through it last time? I’m sure it actually went okay. Knowing that you’ve been okay in the past when being under pressure may reassure you that what’s happening at work isn’t so frightening.

Drown out the distractions but don’t isolate yourself

Something that a lot of people do when they’re under pressure is that they go really quiet and shut themselves away from others to avoid being distracted. This is a good thing to do when you need to crack on with your task but at the same time you don’t want to shut yourself away completely. If you need help, you must ask for it otherwise you’re putting yourself under pressure for no reason. You can also try taking a physical break from the task that’s causing you stress. A short break can help you gain a little perspective on what you need to do when you return to it.

Slow things down

Just because you’re under pressure doesn’t mean that everything needs to be ramped up to 500 miles per hour. Keep your cool and slow down your thoughts without getting frustrated. If your brain is going crazy you can’t focus on the solution and you’ll end up cutting corners to get the job done. Ultimately this means the quality of your work won’t be as good.

Pressure and stress are two separate things. When you’re under pressure this in turn causes stress but you can learn to train yourself not to be so easily beaten by the stress. If you can delegate some of the work to ease the stress, or negotiate the deadline then this can prevent a meltdown from happening.

If you’re faced with the task and there’s no way out, then you need to deal with it in the easiest way possible. Before you know it the task will be over and in the past!

-daunt: If something daunts you, it makes you feel slightly afraid or worried about dealing with it.

-loom: If something looms over you, it appears as a large or unclear shape, often in a frightening way.

-Drown out: if a sound drowns out somebody/something, it is so loud that they/it cannot be heard

-crack on: to work hard and do something quickly

-ramp up: to increase or cause to increase

-cut corners: do things in the easiest, quickest or cheapest way and not in the proper way

-delegate: If you delegate duties, responsibilities, or power to someone, you give them those duties, those responsibilities, or that power so that they can act on your behalf.

Questions

(1) What does it hold you back from working on time?

(2) What part of this article do you agree with the most?

(3) Do you have your own way to work effectively under pressure?

(4) What was the worst result when you missed the deadline?

[ILOVE꿈틀]

자료준비완료:)