From my corporate experience, taking the time to consider a response is key. I’ve fallen afoul of not doing that in the past and letting my emotional side get the better of me.
In moments where time is of the essence, it may not be possible to obtain all the facts, but taking the right amount of time to make a thoughtful and calculated response is key….even if you have to caveat for transparency.
For me, the “aha” moment was when you said, “the ability to stay composed.” I was thinking the piece was about composure from the first paragraph, and then you confirmed it.
I can see how this plays out in professional sports, but also in my own personal and professional life.
In sports, you often hear about superstar athletes coming out of college who struggle early because they haven’t adjusted to the pace of the pro game. They can’t slow things down, which leads to rushed decisions and less-than-ideal outcomes.
I can’t relate to being a pro athlete, but I can definitely relate to reacting too quickly. Not long ago, I was in a situation that required pause, and luckily a friend of mine was with me and he delivered a masterclass in slowing things down. I learned a lot from that moment.
I think it’s always useful to remember you can take a moment too, which I’m guessing your friend suggested. The event that this piece talks about was a journalist ringing before publishing a really damaging story about one of the players. The perception is that you have to respond immediately - but that’s never the reality. There is always time. And, in this respect, you have time to write the response, get someone else to check it etc, etc and I always try and apply this in life too. We always have time to take a breath and check we are responding in the best way.
Sorry, one other question for you (this topic is fascinating to me).
In your experience, do you see a difference in how this concept is applied in professional versus personal situations? I like to think I was pretty good at this throughout my career, perhaps in part because subconsciously I knew I couldn't ask rashly without risking bad outcomes.
And while I can certainly understand this concept is totally applicable in personal situations, I either forget it, or consciously dismiss it. I can't explain why the discipline hasn't translated over, but maybe it's as simple as working at it more.
My brain on "work mode" acted differently than my brain on "personal mode", if that makes any sense.
Hmm, really good question. I think, from my experience, people are more quickly reactive in their personal lives because the stakes don’t feel as high - but having said that, having spent almost all of my career in sport, what you have is a ready-made buffer (people like me) who sort the stuff out if you behave badly or react too strongly. You have lots of ‘sorter-outers’ who clear up the mess. So I think really it comes down to the stakes. The people I now work with who have absolute responsibility tend to take more time to reflect before responding, so it’s removing the stress out of those situations and seeing it as part of the process, rather than an added burden.
Very good points in this article.
From my corporate experience, taking the time to consider a response is key. I’ve fallen afoul of not doing that in the past and letting my emotional side get the better of me.
In moments where time is of the essence, it may not be possible to obtain all the facts, but taking the right amount of time to make a thoughtful and calculated response is key….even if you have to caveat for transparency.
Thank you for sharing.
For me, the “aha” moment was when you said, “the ability to stay composed.” I was thinking the piece was about composure from the first paragraph, and then you confirmed it.
I can see how this plays out in professional sports, but also in my own personal and professional life.
In sports, you often hear about superstar athletes coming out of college who struggle early because they haven’t adjusted to the pace of the pro game. They can’t slow things down, which leads to rushed decisions and less-than-ideal outcomes.
I can’t relate to being a pro athlete, but I can definitely relate to reacting too quickly. Not long ago, I was in a situation that required pause, and luckily a friend of mine was with me and he delivered a masterclass in slowing things down. I learned a lot from that moment.
I think it’s always useful to remember you can take a moment too, which I’m guessing your friend suggested. The event that this piece talks about was a journalist ringing before publishing a really damaging story about one of the players. The perception is that you have to respond immediately - but that’s never the reality. There is always time. And, in this respect, you have time to write the response, get someone else to check it etc, etc and I always try and apply this in life too. We always have time to take a breath and check we are responding in the best way.
Sorry, one other question for you (this topic is fascinating to me).
In your experience, do you see a difference in how this concept is applied in professional versus personal situations? I like to think I was pretty good at this throughout my career, perhaps in part because subconsciously I knew I couldn't ask rashly without risking bad outcomes.
And while I can certainly understand this concept is totally applicable in personal situations, I either forget it, or consciously dismiss it. I can't explain why the discipline hasn't translated over, but maybe it's as simple as working at it more.
My brain on "work mode" acted differently than my brain on "personal mode", if that makes any sense.
Hmm, really good question. I think, from my experience, people are more quickly reactive in their personal lives because the stakes don’t feel as high - but having said that, having spent almost all of my career in sport, what you have is a ready-made buffer (people like me) who sort the stuff out if you behave badly or react too strongly. You have lots of ‘sorter-outers’ who clear up the mess. So I think really it comes down to the stakes. The people I now work with who have absolute responsibility tend to take more time to reflect before responding, so it’s removing the stress out of those situations and seeing it as part of the process, rather than an added burden.
This is so insightful, thank you! I can absolutely use this going forward.
Thank you for reading and commenting. :)