Everything that comes with a career in project management - the
lack of predictability, the creation of brand new solutions, working within a strict
system - is a source of stress and frustration. Recently, economic models of
production and delivery have contributed drastically increase the stress in the
project management.
According to Flannes
& Associates, here are five key skills that will help you reduce stress
when it comes to managing your projects.
Detach yourself -
To use detachment or dissociation, allow yourself to mentally “check out” of
the meeting as much as is appropriate, letting your mind wander to a more
pleasant image.
Monitor “what if?”
thinking - In the middle of a stressful event, it is natural to engage in
“what if thinking,” which involves a focus that is not present oriented. An
alternative to this form of thinking is to focus in the present, such as posing
this question to yourself. For instance,
“It’s Thursday at 3:17 PM, I’ve just received bad news about the project. What
can I do in the next hour to take a small step towards improving the
situation?”
Image via www.prince2training-uk.org
Develop conflict
resolution skills - We add stress to our work lives by under reacting or
over reacting to the stressful situation. Both approaches increase our stress. So, take some time to really develop balanced conflict
resolution skills that are manageable for day-to-day issues.
Know when enough is
enough - A natural, yet unproductive approach to resolve a stressful
situation is to debate another person about your point of view. This does not
mean you should not assert your belief, but you should know when to stop once
you’ve gotten your point across.
Look for a paradox
- In the midst of a stressful situation, we often take the situation too
seriously. Psychologists would say that we are engaging in “catastrophizing”
behavior, in which we take a negative event cognitively “run with it,” and then
find ourselves believing, for example, that the entire project is probably
doomed because of this one problem. So, find a paradoxical thought that you can
hold onto, something that will put your stress in perspective.
