4. Take the wind out of the other person’s sails. People often enter into conflict discussions pumped up with a high degree of anger, a defense mechanism against anticipated hostility from the other party. To defuse hostility, send messages that will calm the other person and take the wind out of his sails. Offer the [...]

Model limit-busting in your own life. If you want your team members to raise their own performance expectations, you must be able to show them you are willing to take risks and challenge performance limits in your own life. To model limit-busting for your team, do the following: 1. Set challenging goals for your performance. [...]

Provide periods of concentrated effort. During high-stress periods people usually find it more difficult to concentrate on the work in front of them. These are the times that phones ring off the hook and people find themselves overrun by walk-in visitors. One technique for creating a stress-managed environment is to meet with your team to [...]