Administrative Professionals Often Perform Under Pressure

Tips for Performing Under Pressure

by Diane Domeyer, executive director of Office Team

Today’s work world is fast paced and deadline driven. Across the board, administrative professionals are managing larger workloads and longer hours to accommodate their executives’ busy schedules.

As a result, now more than ever, on-the-job success depends on your ability to show grace under fire. The following are tips to help you become a peak performer when the pressure’s on:

Seek clarity. Don’t be afraid to ask too many questions. You’ll avoid misunderstandings and be more productive if you seek clarification up front. If a pressing assignment is dropped in your lap with little warning, it’s to your advantage to clarify timelines, personal expectations and overall goals with your manager before starting work.

Prioritize then strategize. Take a few moments to develop a game plan before diving headfirst into any project. By thinking tactically and constructing a road map, you can spot potential hurdles before they slow you down.

Don’t procrastinate. Worrying about a project doesn’t count as working on it. Rather than putting off your most pressing deadlines, hop to it. Getting these assignments out of the way first will lower your stress level and make your overall goals seem more manageable.

Break it up. Take short breaks to relieve crunch-time tension. Collect your thoughts by going for a walk, stretching or briefly engaging in watercooler chitchat. If you can’t leave your workstation, close your eyes, take deep breaths and try to clear your head for a few moments.

Keep cool. Even the most well-mannered professionals can become flustered and temperamental when under stress. Don’t contribute to the tense atmosphere and instead, take criticism with a grain of salt on hectic days.

Ask for help. Even with talent and strong effort, some jobs simply can’t be completed by one person. If you’re doing everything possible to accomplish a task and still foresee a problem, ask for assistance. Identify duties that can be delegated and request backup from your supervisor. He or she would much rather divert resources to help you now than hear of a missed deadline later.

Fix your gaze. When operating on overdrive, it’s easy to lose sight of big-picture goals and the fact that working hard now will help you achieve them. The more you can do to obtain an overall view of your assignment, the better you’ll be able to perform.

Turn downtime into prep time. After a high-intensity period passes, decompress by making note of the lessons you just learned. What factors, if any, caused you to fall off schedule? Reflective thinking will help you streamline your pressure-handling processes and prepare you for the next big brush fire.

To perform well when the pressure is on and the stakes are high, you need focus, organization and steely resolve. Use the tips highlighted above to not just survive — but thrive — the next time you find yourself under the gun.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Diane Domeyer is executive director of OfficeTeam, the nation’s leading staffing service specializing in the temporary placement of highly skilled administrative and office support professionals. OfficeTeam has more than 300 locations worldwide and offers online job search services at www.officeteam.com.