Contributed by Wendy Robertson, co-founder and COO, Thrive Partners.
Prioritise:
When you’re up against it, you must know what you need to do, and what order to do it in. Taking ten minutes to get everything down on one page is a great investment of time, even when you’re busy. Once you’ve prioritised, work through the jobs one by one – unitask, don’t multitask, for productivity.
Coach, communicate and delegate:
Getting these skills on point is crucial for lots of high pressure roles. Being clear on what you need from others is essential, and a coaching approach can really help create space for you, and autonomy for your team. Remember that clear communication needs extra attention in stressful times, so everyone knows what they need to do and when.
Get a reality check:
Always try and connect with a friend who has nothing to do with your business to get some perspective. Our on-demand coaching is most frequently used for people who just want a second opinion, to think something through when they’re feeling overwhelmed.
Find ways to escape:
These days we have many ways to escape. This might mean working from home to clear your head – but even in the office, there are increasingly more ways to get some perspective. I personally love the Headspace App. Plus there’s more and more evidence that greenery is good for wellbeing – so get some plants for the office or get yourself to the park.
Remember, stress is systemic:
Stress at work can creep into other areas of our life if we’re not careful – but equally, keeping everything else in balance can help keep us resilient in the office. Go for a walk or a swim. There’s lots of great advice out there on proper breathing. Sort out a proper bedtime and sleep routine. And try not to reach for the junk food when the going gets tough!
About the author
Wendy has over 17 years commercial experience as CFO and COO in both WPP and Omnicom Group creative agencies and 10 years coaching experience. As a senior leader she has embraced coaching methodologies and actively got them into the fabric of the business. This has enabled positive changing behaviours across the business leading to a more collaborative, transparent and a people centric approach. It has also been integral to overall business planning, change management, employee engagement, commercial negotiations and learning and development. Wendy is a co-founder at Thrive Partners.
