We all have dealt with high-stress situations, some of us more than others. Some of us deal with these high-stress situations multiple times throughout our day. It is vital that we find a way to effectively communicate through those stressful situations to ensure we reach the desired outcome, whatever that may be.
The first key to effective communication during these types of situations is to take a deep breath and relax. If we panic and fold under the stress of it all, we get further from reaching our desired outcome because we’re essentially giving up before trying to resolve the issue. Communication is key, and when there’s a failure of any kind, many times, it can be traced back to poor communication between one person and the next. Has anyone ever played the game of telephone? The reason the end product is so different from what was originally intended is because of poor communication throughout the process from one person to the other.
The second step is to have a clear definition of the problem(s) at hand so we know what we’re up against. We can’t find a solution if we haven’t confirmed the problem. Once we’ve identified the problem, we can brainstorm and try to find a solution. One key thing to remember when trying to find a solution is to remain positive and not become discouraged whenever one of the solutions we try doesn’t work. We didn’t fail to fix the problem; we just identified what didn’t work and got one step closer to reaching our goal. We went forward, not backward.
Another thing to think about is identifying peers or co-workers who may be able to assist us in reaching our goal. If multiple people are involved, effective communication becomes that much more important. Identify the following: who, what, when, where, why, and how. When one of these elements is missing, and there isn’t a clear answer, odds are we will find it difficult to reach the desired outcome. Finally, the most effective way to effectively communicate during a high-stress situation is to stick to what you know and identify facts, not assumptions. We have to establish the groundwork and a solid foundation before moving on to the deeper aspects. Remember to try and remove emotion from the thought process. We want to think logically and rationally rather than emotionally. We have a much greater chance of success when we do so.
We always have to keep in mind that people are counting on us to get it right! If it were easy, anyone could do it, but we’re called to a higher standard. A quote comes to mind in relation to staying positive, “there are those that think they can, and those that think they can’t, but almost always, both of these people are usually correct.” If you’re committed to success and effectively finding a solution to any problem, more than likely, you’ll make it happen!