It’s the bottom of the ninth and the pitcher just walked a batter to load the bases.  Now, the pressure is on…

Have you ever been sitting in your office when a colleague, or even your boss, comes barreling in to announce bad news or lament a major pressure point for decision?  How do you react as a leader?  Do you immediately jump on the bandwagon and add to the pressure, or do you remain calm, collected, and considerate in offering advice and counsel on how best to navigate the way ahead?

As leaders, we’ve all heard the advice “stay calm under pressure.”  In fact, we probably know some folks that we recognize do just that when the chips are down, and the walls seem to be closing in.  Calm under pressure is a leadership attribute desired by many and fostered as a cornerstone in certain professions, such as the military, first responders or the medical community, who train hard and under rigorous scenarios to execute under pressure.  Not everyone, though, has military/first responder/medical background, or work for a company and operation that demands high-end pressure training.  However, we all tend to find ourselves, regardless of profession, in pressure filled arenas in the workplace where sometimes panic fills the air.

Back to baseball…with two down and only one out to go to clinch the game, the pitcher found himself struggling, having just walked a batter to load the bases.  The pressure was on, and if the next batter got a hit, the opposing team would get the win.

It was at this point, that the pitcher’s coach called a time out to visit the mound to discuss the situation.  What I noticed then was ‘how’ he went to the mound.  There was no running, or urgency.  In fact, it was notable just how slowly and deliberately this coach walked to visit and discuss the rather urgent and stressful point in the game.  Putting a hand on the pitcher’s shoulder and stepping in to talk quietly and deliberately, you could feel the situation de-pressurize, slow down, and I could imagine that a near term pitching strategy was delivered for the way ahead.  Play resumed, the next batter flied out after two pitches, and the pitcher got the win.  In my mind, I gave the coach a major assist.

Having spent 30+ years in the military, I’ve seen (and lived) my fair share of pressurized moments and decision points.  What I found interesting with the baseball game was how the coach’s visit to the pitcher’s mound captured all the elements of being, and conveying, ‘calm under pressure.’

So how can this work for you?  I mentioned up front the words, “calm, collected, considerate,” and those words can serve as a reminder, or mantra, for handling a pressure situation.  When a crisis forms with an individual, or there is panic in the board room, keep these three words in mind:

Calm – Try to slow things down in your mind and for those around you.  As one example, instead of jumping up ‘to join the panic,’ physically sit back and mentally assess the individual and/or your surroundings.  Instead of leaning into the conversation in the same tone and pace as the deliverer of news, be calm and deliberate in your words and questions that follow.

Collected – Gain perspective on the situation.  In pressure-filled situations, an immediate decision or action might feel necessary, but with the information you have, or the questions you ask, consider if a decision really needs to be made immediately.  Perhaps a decision or action can be taken later that day, or even days or weeks down the road.  This can help slow down a situation and relieve a sense of rushing to a decision or action.  In most cases, immediate actions are not required and sometimes can take you down the wrong path.

Considerate – Give thoughtful, clear guidance for the near-term way ahead.  To be clear, this does not necessarily mean guidance to definitively solve the problem.  In many cases, it’s simply the old cliché of ‘one step at a time.’  Perhaps it’s a request to gather more information.  Or it’s to ask the team to develop possible solutions for review.  Then set a mark for later that day (if you deem urgent) or on the longer-range calendar to review the perceived crisis or problem.  Recognize that the guidance may just keep the individual or team moving forward as you empower them to manage the crisis.  In most cases, time and reflection will lead to a clearer path of resolution for all.

As I reflect on the baseball game and the coach’s visit to the pitcher, the deliberate walk to the mound introduced a calm to a heavily pressurized situation.  The hand on the shoulder and slow discussion helped the pitcher collect himself.  And then the conversation most likely focused on the next pitch and was considerate of the old adage of one step at a time, or rather, one pitch at a time.

Keep it all in mind as you consider how to handle crisis and high pressure in your workplace. Calm, Collected, Considerate – words to help handle and convey a sense of calm for yourself and those around you.  Hope it helps!

Authored By: Chris Craige, Managing Director