(I can't figure out how to get videos here correctly, so here is a link to an appropriate song from Queen and David Bowie.)
Tick… tick… tick. Whether it is the silence after that
hard question or the end of the fourth quarter or the last lap of a race or, if
you happen to be James Bond, the remaining time on the detonator, we all know
about pressure. We also have a
collective myth that some people perform better than ever under pressure. Performing
Under Pressure: The Science of
Doing Your Best When It Matters Most by Hendrie Weisinger and J.P.
Pawliw-Fry debunks the myth and provides some techniques that can help us cope
with pressure.
The first section of the book
defines and discusses what pressure is and what it does to us. It examines the data about performance
in pressure situations, which does not support the concept of the “clutch” player. The authors argue that no one does
better under pressure than not under pressure; some people just manage to do
less poorly than others.
The second section provides short
term help for pressure situations.
The tips focus on how to cope with the symptoms of pressure. They suggest that using the tips in the
moment will improve performance.
(I just finished reading the book last night, so I have not personally
experimented with the techniques yet, but they look promising.)
The final section is perhaps the
most interesting, in that it lays out a plan for character development to
address some of the root causes of pressure. The cute acronym “COTE” of armor annoys the heck out of me,
but cultivating confidence, optimism, tenacity, and enthusiasm seems like a
good idea.
In all, it is an interesting
read, if not a life-changing book.
No comments:
Post a Comment