A Danish museum curator tells the story of how he and his staff released the tension of mounting an exhibit whose 900 pre-Columbian pieces were particularly fragile.
“We drove to Tivoli and proceeded to a little booth where for a couple of kroner you can throw three hard balls at several piles of ceramic plates. We reduced the place to a shambles. There wasn’t a saucer left whole.”
Stress needs an outlet, and some tasks require an antidote if you are to get to peak performance. Though, most times, a manager may not find a plate-shattering way to reverse emotional gears, looking for any kind of diametric change of pace can be well worth the effort. By deliberately going in the opposite direction after immersion in one type of work, you avoid feelings of burn-out, exhaustion, frustration. You may also avoid errors in judgment, short-temperedness and lowered personal productivity.
So, consider the activity pairs below. Next time you find yourself flagging at one activity, think of it as a signal to swing the other way. It could reenergize you, and get you back to a better level of functioning:
¥ Sedentary/Active. The antidote to a wearisome meeting can be as simple as a brisk walk. If you can get in some tennis or running at lunchtime, this can undo the weariness you may have felt after a morning of poring over reports.
¥ Caution/Risktaking. You have to be cautious when, for instance, making promises to your boss, or handling interpersonal problems among your staff, or dealing with a new supplier. On such occasions, there are ways of going in another direction: delegating one of your jobs to a subordinate, authorizing a new system, funding an exciting idea.
¥ Careful/Spontaneous. Exercising tact and diplomacy can be stressful-when, for example, you host the corporate brass, or deal with customer complaints. After such efforts, make a point of associating with someone with whom you can let your hair down. Even a few minutes of this can loosen up the knots.
¥ Serious/Light. Effective speakers know that a laugh can help people absorb the message better. And this complementary pair works the other way, too; after a serious meeting, some laughter in the hall outside the conference room will help break the tension.
¥ Taking in/Putting out. Physical strain can reduce your effectiveness. Why not try to balance the use of your eyes and ears? Get on the phone after a long bout of reading. Or initiate a meeting when your eyes start to glaze over the budget you’ve been working on.
¥ Gregarious/Solitary. The amount of contact you have with others sometimes needs to be balanced out. After a long business lunch you will probably do better alone at your desk than at a meeting. And, after hours behind your closed door, seeking out someone to talk to can help keep you going well.
¥ Negative/Positive. The emotional weight of, say, having to fire someone, having to refuse a request, having to scrap an idea or a project can cast a pall. You’ll best be able to recoup by directing your energies to positive tasks-making plans, offering congratulations or praise, considering something new.
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