How to perform well under pressure

I have just been reading a really interesting article on performance management. It’s written by Dr Veronica Burke, Programme Director of the Cranfield General Management Programme, whose background is in performance sport. She takes the lessons that elite athletes have already learnt to teach us, as business owners, how to perform well in stressful situations. She believes many of the demands placed on us mirror those of the sporting athlete. We are often required to sustain prolonged periods of stress, high workloads and demanding organisational environments.

Dr Burke believes that, crucially, not enough attention has been paid to the importance of the physical dimension as a vital component in optimising performance. I tend to agree with her. If we are not in a peak physical state, both mentally and physically, how can we expect to perform at our best?

So in what areas can we learn something from such elite athletes as Sir Steve Redgrave and Dame Kelly Holmes? Dr Burke thinks they are the following.

Rest and recovery
Sufficient recovery is as important as energy expenditure. Know which tasks you find hardest and plan for them. If you know you need to perform at 90% for an important or stressful event, then it’s a good idea to plan some lower effort tasks before and afterwards as well as some rest. Planning for 90-minute periods of concentration with short breaks in between has been shown to optimise physical capacity.

Hydration
Maintaining hydration levels throughout the day is an important part in performance. A 1% loss in hydration level impacts mood, concentration, anger control and cognitive function. A 2% drop can lead to a 20% drop in performance.

Nutrition
Having breakfast every day, eating little and often to maintain energy levels and avoiding the ‘sugar rush’ as a result of eating simple sugars like chocolate or biscuits are all good ways to maintain energy. Avoid eating ‘on the run’.

Stress
Extreme stress can result in breakdown. But stress itself isn’t the problem, it’s the lack of recovery. When we experience events as stressful, whatever the source, our body releases a stress hormone called cortisol. High levels of cortisol can result in a number of nasty side effects, including diabetes and heart attacks. The effects of cortisol are cumulative; if you don’t clear it, the chances are you will start the next day with a higher level.

One of the best ways to lower cortisol is to exercise. But what do many of us often do at the end of a stressful day? Maybe have a glass or two of alcohol, eat a meal, smoke a cigarette or sit in front of the television? None of these activities are particularly helpful in lowering cortisol.

Exercise
Regular exercise has numerous health benefits. It can lower blood pressure, help concentration, contribute to a healthy circulation and release energy – the effects are significant.

Control the controllables
And finally, control the controllables. Deliberate planning for peak physical performance can render real benefits. Know what dimensions of your work you can control and be disciplined in planning for times when you need to perform at your best.

For the full article, please click here.