Imagine yourself driving to work. You left a little late but thought you could still make it to work on time. Everyone is slowing down in front of you and now you see that there is an accident up ahead. You are getting stressed out and anxious because your meeting starts in 30 minutes and now you aren’t sure you are going to make it. How many can relate to that story?
As you walk into the office rushing to get to your meeting, two people stop you to tell you about issues that have just occurred. This happens to front line managers every day who are dealing with issues that come from many different directions. Be aware of how you react to all of these things throughout the day. You may be carrying the stress from your morning commute and the issues that were just brought to your attention. You could be in reaction mode for every conversation for the rest of the day. Are your reactions appropriate or are they really related to something else?
Coming into the office with a good attitude is key to motivating others and dealing with things in a positive way. As a leader, you need to be able to manage all the emotions you may be feeling so you don’t overreact to them. There will always be a lot being thrown at you. How can you manage your day so it doesn’t cause you to be stressed out?
Here are some suggestions. Do your best to leave home in time to allow for extra traffic or accidents. Block the first 30 minutes out on your calendar so that you aren’t rushing to go right into a meeting. Plan to arrive at work early so you can have some time to ease into your day. Proactively plan out what you want to accomplish that day with your extra 30 minutes or the night before. It is really easy to just be reactionary to whatever comes up when you walk in the door, but then you aren’t getting the things done that need to be accomplished on your list.
These suggestions may be easy to say, but more difficult to put into practice. I have used them with some of my clients and they have had great results with much more control of their time and their stress level. If you would like my help to move you towards this same goal, please feel free to set up time with me for a complimentary session: http://susanmbarber.com/schedule-an-appointment/.