Forster N. - Maximum performance (2005)(en)

80 MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE

and you are getting annoyed about having your work flow interrupted, take a slow deep breath and repeat this short mantra to yourself as you gently pick up the receiver: ‘There is someone on the other end of this line who needs my help, support or advice.’

Becoming a better time-manager requires commitment and discipline, and it may take a few weeks to implement these techniques.

Dealing with techno-stress

Readers of this book will be well aware of the way that new technologies have transformed organizations in recent years. However, there are indications that the long-term use of computers and virtual technologies can lead to some physiological and psychological problems. These include repetitive strain injuries, muscle and back problems, tendonitis, eyestrain, blurred vision and e-thrombosis. There is also some evidence that ‘cyber-sickness’ (a variant of motion sickness) is becoming more widespread amongst employees who spend lengthy periods of time working on PCs or in virtual reality. This manifests itself in headaches, double vision, increased heart rates, dizziness, vertigo, disorientation and even vomiting (Bestos, 2002). To avoid these problems, ensure that your workstation, chair and desk height, and the layout and design of equipment, are all ergonomically sound. If you do have to spend a lot of time at your desk, try to maintain an upright posture (and if you often find yourself in a slumped position, invest in a back support for your chair), keep your elbows close to your body and your lower arms horizontal. Invest in a document holder that keeps current work at eye level, rather than down at one side of your keyboard (this will prevent strain on the neck and spine). Every hour or so, try these simple stretches: look over your shoulders four or five times on either side; roll your shoulder blades around, stretch your wrists and bend them slowly in each direction and stretch your arms above your head. If you have some privacy, lie on your front and do four or five ten-second arm-only press-ups, while keeping your hips pressed to the ground. This will flex your spine in the opposite direction to the one it is often in while you are seated. Every two or three hours take a ten-minute break and walk around. You should try to take regular breaks from PC-based work, get out and about and put some variety into your working day.

Fitness and exercise

In many ways, the human body can be regarded as a machine that requires regular maintenance and upkeep for it to perform well. If it is

overworked, or pushed beyond its capabilities, it will eventually break down, sometimes with catastrophic results. Physical conditioning can make a major difference to the way people react to and cope with stress, because fit people cope better with the demands of stress when compared with those who are in poor physical condition. Exercise improves the performance of the nervous, circulatory, endocrine and digestive systems. The heart and lungs work better and are able to pump more oxygen around the body. This increases cardiovascular capacity and strength, and also reduces fatty deposits on the walls of arteries, by increasing haemoglobin and plasma levels in the bloodstream. In turn, this leads to increased psychological well-being, resulting from the release of ‘feel-good’ chemicals (such as seratonin and endorphins) in the brain during exercise. These increase brain activity and reduce toxic stress chemicals such as cortisol. Exercise also helps in achieving and maintaining an optimum weight level, thereby reducing the risk of coronary and circulatory diseases.

Regular aerobic exercise – swimming, jogging or cycling three to four times a week – are all good antidotes for stress. Weight training is also becoming more popular, even with mature adults, as a way to maintain strength, build up the metabolism and maintain lean muscle tissue. This may be the very last thing that you want to do after eight or nine hours at work, but once you get into a routine you will feel more energized and relaxed. You’ll also sleep better because of the physical workout that your body has enjoyed and, in turn, this will enhance your ability to recover from the work stressors you have encountered during the day. The hardest thing is getting started and it’s a lot easier if you do this with other people, by joining a local sports or cycling club, for example. Once you get into a routine, it becomes second nature and all your bodily systems will work better to power you through the demands of the working day.

However, it should be noted that competitive sports rely to a large extent on the fight–flight reaction, and some psychologists have questioned their efficacy as stress reducers. Also several studies have confirmed that, while regular, moderate exercise boosts the immune system, prolonged bouts of high-intensity, aggressive exercise can dampen it. Certain types of heavy exercise, like marathon running, can even trigger heart-damaging effects including higher levels of blood clotting and inflammation (Callaghan, 2003). If you are not particularly sporty, perhaps try out other activities like dancing or take on some voluntary work in the community. Last, but not least, if you are over 35 you should have a full medical check-up once a year. This may seem excessive, but people over this age become increasingly prone to high blood pressure, increased cholesterol levels and other illnesses.2

82 MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE

Becoming a corporate athlete

As noted in Chapter 1, there has been a rapid growth in personal PeakPerformance coaching in recent times. A number of consulting and corporate training businesses now offer busy professionals intensive workshops that embrace a complete range of personal health and fitness issues. Another example of these is the London-based consultancy, Sporting Bodymind. Like WAMCG in Australia and LGE Performance Systems and Inner Quality Management in the USA, this company runs courses that cover issues such as developing a clear sense of individual purpose, endurance, physical strength, self-control, emotional capacity and mental preparation. The purpose of this coaching, in all four companies, is to create leaders that are more self-aware, energized, focused and determined as well as physically and psychologically balanced. The intention is to maintain an optimum balance between energy expenditure and energy renewal. In turn, this should result in leaders who are able to ‘coach’ their employees more effectively (Loehr and Schwartz, 2001). If you are someone who really is too busy to find the time to learn relaxation techniques or the principles of corporate athleticism, you may want to consider employing one of the growing number of career and life coaches to guide you through these.

Diet and nutrition

A balanced diet, combined with exercise and sleep, has long been considered to be a good way of combating the physical effects of stress. This can be achieved by increasing the amount of complex carbohydrates and fibre in the diet in the form of vegetables, fruits, salads, whole-wheat products, brown rice, fish and cereals. It has been more than 30 years since ‘friendly fats’ (such as the Omega-3 fats found in seafood) were first identified as key compounds that can lower blood pressure and reduce the chances of heart inflammation and coronary spasms. Many subsequent studies have shown that people who consume four or five meals containing seafood each week reduce their chances of heart attacks by 50 per cent and strokes by 38 per cent (Callaghan, 2002a). Dieticians also recommend cutting back on heavily processed and junk food, as these are often low in nutritional value, contain high levels of sugar and fat and usually contain many additives and preservatives. While sugar tastes good, it also creates energydepleting spikes in blood glucose and insulin levels. Paradoxically, some recent research suggests that foodstuffs that have long been regarded as taboo by most nutritionists, such as red meat, eggs and saturated fats, actually do little harm if consumed in moderation (McKie, 2002).

Avoiding foods that contain tyramine, which can stimulate the vascular process that leads to headaches (particularly in migraine-suscepti- ble individuals) and caffeine, another food-source that can aggravate stress, can also help in maintaining a healthier physiology. While coffee and, to a lesser extent, tea are useful pick-me-ups, you should try to avoid drinking these to excess during the day, or late at night. They are stimulants and will keep you awake. Also few people know that there are more than one thousand chemicals in a cup of coffee. Only 26 have been laboratory-tested and, of these, half caused cancer in rats (Roydhouse, 2001: 242). Many nutritionists recommend a good breakfast and eating ‘mini-meals’ five to six times a day, rather than one or two large meals, and drinking about two litres of water each day to replenish fluid levels and to flush out toxins in the bloodstream (Loehr and Schwartz, 2001). You should also try to monitor your weight and maintain this within plus or minus 5 per cent of that recommended for your age and height. Being too thin can also be a sign of distress and, if anorexia or bulimia kicks in, symptomatic of more deep-seated psychological problems.

Last, try to keep within the limit of alcohol consumption recommended by your country’s health authorities. In many countries, this is set at 21 units for men and 14 units for women over a week. Even in relatively small quantities, alcohol is fattening, raises blood pressure and affects coordination, reaction times and judgment. Taken in large quantities it can lead to serious physical and psychological health problems. These include heart disease, gastritis, obesity, cirrhosis of the liver, loss of libido, reduced fertility, memory loss, dementia and damage to the central nervous system, as well as its attendant negative effects on relationships and family life. But, if you do fancy several tipples once in a while, remember the old adage, ‘the darker the drink, the darker you’ll feel in the morning’.

Relaxation

If you routinely toss and turn at night, count sheep, find your mind buzzing like a stuck vinyl record with thoughts about work, or wake up tired and bad-tempered after a poor night’s sleep, you’re not alone. It’s been estimated that as many as 30 per cent of the adult population of industrialized countries have difficulties sleeping at night (Gleick, 1999). Good, restful deep sleep is vital, because it is the time when worn out body cells are replaced by new ones and brain cells become rejuvenated, ready to cope with the challenges of another busy day at work. There is also evidence that sleep is essential for memory consolidation and enhancement (Nader, 2003). A few people, like Albert

84 MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE

Einstein and Winston Churchill, survived on as little as four hours a night but, for most people, six to seven hours is essential for good health. So, even if you are worn out and stressed after a hard day at work, a good night’s rest will revive your energy levels and creative capacities.3

Relaxation is a very useful method of promoting good sleep habits and reducing the impact of occupational stress. Simply sitting in a quiet place for just five to ten minutes, eyes closed, focusing on one’s breathing and the different muscle groups in the body, starting from the forehead and going down to the toes, can assist in the elimination of tension and stress. If you spend a lot of time slumped over the old Japanese piano at work, you might find a back support useful or, every hour or so, stretch your back, legs and arms for two to three minutes. A constantly slumped posture creates tension all over the body and this will stay with you for hours unless you deal with it. If you still feel back pain or tension, consult a qualified osteopath or physiotherapist.

In addition to this, yoga and other traditional forms of relaxation have been used for thousands of years to relax both the body and mind, and their popularity in the west is growing exponentially (Miraudo, 2002). These techniques help individuals to develop an enhanced ability to ‘switch-off’ from work, a deeper understanding of themselves, and more energy and tolerance when dealing with the dysfunctional or toxic behaviours of others at work. Relaxation techniques also encourage the production of the body’s natural ‘happy drug’, seratonin, an important modulator of emotions. The positive emotions these engender have been shown to dampen down the autonomic nervous system, which sends messages from the brain to the heart. This governs involuntary stress actions such as sweating and shallow breathing (two early signs of distress). Relaxation also allows time for self-reflection. As we have already seen, this is an important part of successful leadership, because it allows you to reflect not only on what you are doing at work but also how you are doing it. It can also help with problem solving. How many times have you noticed that a solution to a problem ‘comes’ to you when you weren’t thinking consciously about it, while in the shower or out jogging? Relaxation allows the unconscious mind freedom to operate, and encourages more communication between the logical left hemisphere and the creative right hemisphere of the brain.

There are two quick stress-reduction techniques that can also be used at work. The first involves just two fingers and one thumb. If you find yourself in a situation where you suddenly find that most destructive of emotions, anger, emerging and there’s a real risk of you losing it,

simply squeeze your thumbs and two index fingers together as hard as you can and focus your anger there, while you take three deep slow breaths. As you breathe out for the third time, release your fingers and let the anger out through your fingertips. The second technique involves five steps. If you feel your stress levels rising, or a toxic individual is really starting to get to you . . . STOP! Just smile to yourself, unclench and relax your jaw very gently and breathe more slowly and deeply. Drop your shoulders and sit upright (but not in a defensive ‘slouch-back’ or an offensive ‘sit-forward’ position). Let your body become still and relax your arms and shoulders. Only when you’ve calmed down should you respond (how to then move forward in these tense situations is described in Chapters 3 and 7).

At first sight, these techniques may appear to be rather simple, but they are based on sound science. Psychologists have identified an emotional state called ‘the refractory period’ (Ekman, 2003). This often accompanies surges of emotion when both memory and thinking enter a kind of tunnel, when we literally lose mental access to information that might mitigate this reaction. Our thinking during these moments of closed attention draws on and misuses memories that sustain and justify the emotion, while at the same time shutting down our higher-order cognitive processing abilities (think, for example, of occasions when you’ve got emotional and/or angry with other people and later on, when you’ve calmed down, have thought to yourself, ‘If only I’d said . . .’). By channelling this anger and emotion elsewhere, it then becomes possible to calm down and respond in a more positive and adult way.

In summary, these relaxation, stress-diffusion and mind/body techniques all have their uses, but their efficacy really does depend on the personality of the individual, their current level of fitness and health, their personal circumstances and the nature and specific demands of their jobs. The purpose of all of these, to repeat a sporting analogy used earlier, is to put people ‘in the zone’, going with the flow and feeling energized. The human mind, in a very simple sense, is like a complex muscle and if we overuse it it will become strained, less effective and, eventually, will break down. However, if we are willing to spend some time developing stress fitness and stress-management techniques that change our behaviour and mental attitudes, anyone can become a more effective corporate athlete within a relatively short period of time.

Tapes, pills, potions, lotions and pets

In a separate category there are a great variety of alternative therapies which, it is claimed, can help with distress. These include audiotapes

86 MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE

and CDs, produced by hypnotists and hypnotherapists, that can be played at night, to help with relaxation, sleeping and positive ‘guided-imagery’. Others claim that reflexology, acupuncture and homeopathy can be effective in reducing stress levels. Some people believe that relaxing, deep aromatherapy massages (kinesiology or shiatsu), every few weeks, also serve to diffuse tension and release psychic toxins from the body. There is also a mind-boggling array of alternative drugs, herbal remedies, salves, pills, nutritional supplements, linctuses, oils, potions and lotions now available, that also claim to relieve stress symptoms. While natural health products now represent a multi-billion dollar industry worldwide, and many people do believe in alternative therapies, there is almost no peerreviewed scientific evidence to show that any of these actually work, although they may have some short-term placebo effects (Diamond, 2001).4 Almost all occupational psychologists and medical researchers believe that stress can only be managed through the active behavioural and attitudinal changes described in this chapter. If you can’t remove them – which is true of most stressors in life – then the only option is to learn how to become physically and psychologically resilient to their effects.

Last, humans have known for centuries about the therapeutic benefits of owning pets, and recent research has shown that this can reduce blood pressure and stress levels, and even alleviate depression. Four studies, presented at the American Heart Association conference in May 2002, revealed that owning a pet lowers blood pressure, reduces the risk of heart disease and improves people’s abilities to cope in stressful situations. One study of 48 New York stockbrokers, who were all on high blood pressure medication, showed that those who owned a dog or cat performed far better when confronted with stressful situations. Furthermore, the effectiveness of their heart medication also seemed to improve. Another study showed that dog and cat owners who had experienced heart attacks were significantly less likely to die in the following 12 months when compared to those who did not own a pet. For those living alone, the effects of pet ownership seem to be particularly beneficial (Callaghan 2002b).5

Work and family life

Imagine life is a game, in which you are juggling balls in the air. You name them work, family, health, friends and spirit and you are keeping them all in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls – family, health, friends and spirit – are made of glass.

(Brian Dyson, former CEO of Coca-Cola Enterprises Australia, 1999)

Earlier in this chapter it was suggested that setting personal life goals could have a significant impact on people’s ability to realize their ambitions and achieve their dreams, and that most studies on personal achievement show that well-being and happiness can flow from the realization of these goals. However, other studies have shown that gaining material and/or career success alone tends to offer only a brief afterglow of contentment. People who value these goals above all else tend to be less satisfied with their lives and less contented, compared to those who have never lusted after outward signs of achievement and success. More significantly, some studies have shown that those who invest time in leisure pursuits, their families and in deep personal relationships are significantly happier throughout their lives (for example, Maguire, 2001; Cooper, 1996a; Covey, 1989; Maddi and Kabosa, 1984). This does not mean that aiming for high personal goals and material success is a bad thing, only that a truly successful life means finding some kind of balance between work and non-work lives, and between material and psychological/spiritual well-being.

Many people, particularly those in high-flying jobs or whose identities are closely tied up with their occupation or profession, can have real difficulties switching off from their jobs. Even if we do not suffer from the worst effects of occupational stress, we may still find it difficult to leave feelings of pressure and anxiety behind at work. The transition from office to home can be the most difficult one that we have to make each day. Just as we are recovering from the pressures of a busy day at work, we are immediately confronted by another set of demands at home. Because some people have difficulties recovering from the pressures of work they may act out their frustrations on loved ones. So we must try to leave work at work. The most forgiving partner or spouse will only put up with moans about our jobs for so long (and if he or she works too, this works both ways). Treat the time you spend with your family as sacred and, in the overall scheme of life, probably much more important than your job. Successful and healthy leaders are those who can create a balance between their work and domestic lives, and who are able to negotiate a fair division of labour within the household. This doesn’t just ‘happen’, it requires work and the ability to compromise with our partners to achieve this.

When you get home, try to take a few minutes to reorient yourself and relax. Change out of your office clothes into something that you feel relaxed in. If you’ve had a particularly stressful day at the office, take a shower and have a drink. If you’ve had a really awful day, go for a short walk or run and focus on what’s around you – not work. If you have young children, always spend an hour or two with them in the evening. Try to have a sit-down meal together and catch up on the

88 MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE

events in their day. If you have to bring work home, do it when they’ve gone to bed. It will not always be possible, but discourage your colleagues from calling you about work-related matters in the evening or at weekends. Switch the answer phone on and ignore evening email. To suggest that anyone should take the time to relax, and have some fun with their partners and kids, might seem to be rather patronizing, but many highly stressed professional people have to be shown how to switch off from work, relax, do absolutely nothing associated with their work, and feel comfortable about doing this. If you also find this difficult to do, you might consider trying the relaxation and meditation exercises described earlier, or start some form of aerobic exercise on a daily basis. However, only you can choose to do these things, and if you are now saying to yourself, ‘I haven’t got time to do any of this stuff’, then it might be precisely the right time to start making some changes.

Corporate health and stress management programmes

Many organizations now offer corporate Health and Wellness (HW) programmes to their employees. These are organizational initiatives designed to identify and/or assist in dealing with specific health problems, health hazards or occupational stress problems amongst employees in the workplace. If your company or organization offers HW programmes, you may already be making use of these. If you are the leader of an organization, or expect to be one in the future, you may want to consider introducing health and stress management programmes for your employees. A discussion of the benefits of introducing these programmes into organizations is contained in Appendix 2.

Conclusion

Having examined occupational stress and how its negative aspects can be dealt with, it’s worth taking a step back for a minute and looking at this in a broader context. Almost everyone who reads this book will live in wealthy industrialized countries and enjoy lifestyles and levels of affluence that most of the world’s population can only dream about. Hardly anyone will ever be directly threatened by war, genocide or abject poverty. Many will have chosen their high-pressure jobs because they gain intrinsic rewards from these, or because they provide high incomes and the material benefits and lifestyles that these bring. So it is up to us to make decisions about finding a balance in our lives that allows us to achieve a reasonable level of material

comfort and career success, without neglecting other equally important things in life, such as personal health, family life, friendships, leisure interests and the communities we live in. It’s also worth reiterating how a positive frame of mind and a good sense of humour can help us deal with, and overcome, the mainly trivial stressors we encounter at work. For an insight into the true power of positive thinking, borrow or buy a copy of Survival. This remarkable book tells the heartbreaking story of Stuart Diver, the only survivor of the 1997 Thredbo landslide disaster in Australia. It shows how his positive frame of mind, physical fitness and his love of life, family, friends and his profession (alpine ski-instructing) helped him to survive and overcome experiences, including the death of his wife and several close friends, that would have destroyed almost anyone else (Diver and Bouda, 1999). This inspiring story is a very useful reality check when reflecting on the difficulties and stressors we might encounter at work.

In summary, successful leader/managers manage their psychological and physical health, cope effectively with occupational stressors and achieve a good balance between the competing demands they face at work and in life. Their self-awareness, sense of purpose, involvement with their followers and positive attitudes when at work also help in maintaining optimum stress levels. If we want to do something about the negative effects of stress, we have to first identify these, discuss our concerns with people we know and trust (or use a professional analyst if necessary) and plan ways to overcome them. If we are willing to spend some time identifying the causes of occupational stress, and learn how to cope more effectively with its consequences, we will find that we achieve the following:

•have a clearer sense of the kind of job or career that we really want to pursue, and the organizations we want to work for,

•maintain a consistently high level of performance at work,

•make good decisions and meet deadlines on time,

•have more time for our colleagues and subordinates,

•become more effective and successful leader/managers,

•enjoy good health and have plenty of energy,

•sleep well at night,

•have an improved sense of well-being,

•are more cheerful and humorous,

•are able to maintain a good balance between work and family life,

•enjoy good relationships with our partners and children,

•don’t resort to drugs, legal or otherwise, to relieve stress,

•are better able to plan for the future and feel more in control of our destinies.