In part 2 of our discussion, we will discuss how your least intense behaviors affect you in stressful situations. (Click here for part 1 – Most Intense Behaviors).
We will encounter stress at some point in our employment, hopefully not frequently! Stress forces us to behave in unique ways that may be outside of our typical habits and, in turn, affects our performance and effectiveness.
As mentioned before, our habits and behavior are ingrained within us, and so it is possible to predict which of our strongest habits will immediately come into play during stress. But, it is also possible to see which of our least intense behaviors we should stay away from when trying to cope or manage the situation putting us under stress.
For example, let’s say your least intense behaviors are …
1. Individual Inclination
2. Conflict Handling
3. Self-Motivation
Again, these are habits that you do NOT have a preference for. The first thing to know about yourself is that you will increase your stress level if you are forced to deal with a tough challenge by yourself. You should seek, or ask for assistance from your team if they are able to provide it. Next, you should know that you will probably want to defer any of the personal conflict in the situation to others in the team if possible; it could be that your strengths lay in the ‘material’ aspects of the challenge. Finally, and most likely linked to your aversion to Individual Inclination, your motivation will have to come from the others around you and the reward of the final goal, rather than just for ‘doing the right thing’.
Not only does knowing this help keep you ‘out of trouble’ during tough times, it also helps if you know and understand what the rest of your team is like. A common understanding of each team member’s habits and preferences make for a well-functioning team that can bring their strongest assets to bear, and know where their weak spots are.
If you missed part 1 of our discussion, you can read our assessment of how your strongest behaviors affect you in the same situations.