How Top Performers Handle Stress

頂尖人士這樣面對壓力 - 活用行為科學消除工作與人際難題
(行動科学を使ったストレスを消す技術)
Author: Ishida Jun
Translator: Chuang Ya-hsu
Publisher: Tianxia Culture
Publication Date: 2019/08/30

Book Recommendation Website: http://moo.im/a/2dhilM

Preface:

It is often said that people who can get things done are not necessarily good managers. This book describes this situation. Although the title seems a bit like a master of the "water-flowing" style, it is actually a book on management. It is a good book for management, and I couldn't help but buy it (electronic version) when I saw the content introduction.

Content Introduction:

Jun Ishida, the leading figure in Japanese behavioral science, says: "What can change people is not ambiguous words and concepts, but concrete actions. If you want to improve results and eliminate work stress, you only need to increase actions that help to demonstrate results!" For example:

・If you often can't help but get angry at colleagues, don't tell yourself to be open-minded, but record your anger history and find a fixed pattern to prevent it.

・If you feel anxious, irritable, and uneasy about sudden work, don't tell yourself to be optimistic, but accept its existence and formulate action steps.

・When you feel impatient and stressed with people you don't get along with, don't try to improve the compatibility between the two parties, but focus on actions and directly list the number of times and the schedule for contacting the other party in a month.

・When you are angry with subordinates who can't be managed or called upon, don't just point out their faults, but provide concrete suggestions for improvement.

Jun Ishida, who has been studying behavioral science for many years, believes that the most effective way to reduce stress and anxiety is not to change the "mind", but to change the "behavior", because not everyone can practice the mind, and changing behavior does not require strong willpower, as long as you follow the steps, you can see the results immediately.

Introduction from DuMo: http://moo.im/a/2dhilM

First of all, let's solve the so-called sense of pressure (that is, the feeling of anxiety that many people feel). First, clearly analyze the causes and inevitability of anxiety, so the generation of anxiety pressure is inevitable, so we have to think of some ways to disperse the anxiety pressure.

Next, the book suggests some ways to avoid anxiety, whether it's leaving the scene, taking a deep breath, or distracting attention by tapping the table. And by self-praise and recording some beautiful things to avoid constantly struggling in the feeling of anxiety.

Next, let's talk about the problems that people with work ability often encounter: becoming a manager and becoming very irritable. The reasons for irritability are nothing more than the following: "Why does he ask this question?" "Why doesn't he have the ability to handle it himself?" "Why can't I feel his enthusiasm for this matter?"

Similar problems may appear when many capable people have just become management level, and this series of questions is also the reason for the anxiety of some capable workers. Next, this is also what this book wants to explain. First of all, for colleagues (or partners) who don't get along, we should not focus on his attitude, but focus on his output and actions, and not focus on the overall compatibility. Because different people have different ways of dealing with things, we cannot require every partner to complete your instructions according to your requirements. (According to the speed and enthusiasm in your mind), then we should see if the results can be completed and comment on the results.

Next, we need to have a clear definition of "enthusiasm", which also makes me think of a friend's suggestion: "When a person has responsibility for things, he will not ask what should be done and what should not be done?" You need to constantly emphasize your definition of "enthusiasm" with your partners so that they can fully understand.

For the part of improving the work ability of partners, this book also gives four aspects of suggestions:

• Reward (praise) for progress reports
• Listen carefully to progress reports
• Don't blame partners when receiving bad news
• Provide concrete instructions for the content of the progress report

Based on these four directions, further enable partners to understand that progress reports are important, and also encourage partners' progress reports.

The last part is aimed at some mistakes that employees with strong abilities are most likely to make after being promoted to managers:

• Throwing partners to the front line
• Scolding partners for their "characteristics"
• "Breaking promises" and "abusing power"
• Favoritism
• Labeling partners
• Comparing everywhere
• Can't help but interrupt partners

The above is a summary of the content of this book.

Thoughts:

Being a manager now is different from being a manager before. I remember often hearing managers discussing things like this. The way I was trained before and the requirements I had seem to be impossible to directly require employees now. Today's employees need more encouragement, more patience, and more guidance.

Furthermore, you cannot be strict with yourself and also be strict with others, because many employees need more time and ways to slowly adapt to the changes in many things.

This book takes the mentality that employees with strong abilities are prone to after being promoted to managers as a starting point, and often some words can hit people's hearts, and also reveals that the pressure of employees with abilities after being promoted to management positions often comes from employees rather than the challenges of the original work. It is quite worth pondering and learning.