Buried

You tell someone you can’t remember what it feels like to not be stressed while reading an email from your client about all the things you have to accomplish, and you realize that statement is actually very true. As this is occurring, your head starts to feel like it’s in a compression machine, your chest tightens and you struggle to breathe, and the world feels like it’s closing in on you. You’re having an anxiety attack.

That was my Monday. And Tuesday and Wednesday. This week, I felt buried by the thoughts of all the things I have to accomplish before Thanksgiving. From trying to get a photo contest off the ground, to infiltrating a school system with an art project idea, to researching businesses’ capabilities of hosting a MyMuncie day, to beginning a communications and brand audit, I was feeling overwhelmed by the amount of work I had to get done.

When there’s an entire melting pot of work sitting in front of you, it’s hard to split it into a mosaic in your mind.

Here’s what I’m doing:

• Breathe. Take a step back, clear your head and breathe deeply. Concentrate on something non-work related for a couple minutes.
• Make a to-do list. Write down everything that has to get done on a sheet of paper, then start splitting it up into manageable portions. It will calm you down and make huge projects seem smaller.
• Remember you have a team. I’m very lucky with this one. I have a team of very capable and hardworking women who are able to help me take on all this work. Divvy up assignments so it’s less daunting for everyone and trust that it will get done.
• Did I mention breathe? Seriously, do it.

It’s not easy being a full-time student and a half-time professional. It’s not easy to have deadlines rushing at you. It’s not easy to get over the hump of work. But you can do it. Just because you feel buried doesn’t mean you actually are. Look past all the work and seek the end result. It’s there. You just have to dig yourself out to find it.

Giving Up Control

Last week, I discussed learning to make appropriate changes to my leadership style. This week, I started implementing them. The most notable act was giving up control.

One of my team’s current assignments is conducting research on businesses’ dress policy and how implementing a day to wear MyMuncie T-shirts would work with said businesses. Rather than delegating the assignment and telling my team how to do it, I provided the opportunity for someone on the team to do the latter herself.

By doing this, I am not only taking a little bit of stress off myself, but I am allowing people on my team to take ownership in their assignments. Seeing my team member’s face light up at the thought of her taking on this responsibility and getting the opportunity to really make an assignment her own was incredibly heartwarming and filled me with so much pride for my team and their passion.

The realization that I am a factor in someone else’s professional growth is an amazing thought in many ways. Firstly, it’s kind of scary to think you hold that much weight; but secondly, it’s a great experience to watch that growth take place.

Having a totally Type A personality means I have a constant need to be in control. But, once in a while, it feels good to give someone else the wheel.

Whatever You Need

Just because your job title is “boss” doesn’t mean that’s what the job description is.

When you fall into a leadership role, it’s easy to take on the mindset of a manager. You think you have to micromanage everything and keep everyone on track. But in reality, that’s not the way to lead people. You have to let them grow and provide them with opportunities and feedback that allow them to progress.

When I was pulled into a meeting last Friday to discuss my leadership style and my role as a leader, I was taken completely off guard. I thought I was doing well and had formed a solid relationship with my team, but just because things have gotten comfortable, doesn’t mean you can relax.

I took some time to reflect on my leadership style and on myself and try to focus in on what exactly I needed to improve. I then spent this week working on honing those skills within myself and with my team.

The number one thing I repeated was, “My job is to be whatever you need.”

Here are the key things I learned about leadership from this experience:

• Be approachable. Smile more. Be open to everything others bring to you and never let any of your stress fall through the cracks.
• Give good feedback. Don’t just brush people aside. You are there to teach them, and the only way to do that is to offer rich and useful feedback. Work with them.
• Always encourage. Negativity does not help anyone. Remind people how great they are and how much you appreciate them. Tell them they’re capable. Help them take steps forward. If you aren’t encouraging, you might be forcing them back.
• Be personable. In a hierarchical world, it is easy to get intimidated by those who rank above you, and people often do. Break down those walls with transparency. Be a human being with them. Share your thoughts and your faults. You’re not perfect; don’t act like it.
• Offer yourself to others, in whatever way they need. As a leader, you’re going to come across many different people who require many different styles. Don’t just assume they are like everyone else. Ask them what they need from you and provide it.

As a leader, it’s not just about you. You have an entire group of people looking to you for guidance, and you have to give it to them – in whatever way they need it. It’s not what your position can do for yourself; it’s what you can do for others, given your position.

Be what other people need, not what you need. Whether that is a teacher, a mentor or a friend, it is your role to immerse yourself in other people. You grow by helping others grow. You progress by being whatever they need.

Let It Flow

When the ideas flow, so does the work. That’s how my past weekend went. No matter how close you are to a deadline, if you haven’t yet reached it, there’s still time for someone to drop a card in the suggestion box.

I had a meeting with the MyMuncie creative team last Friday afternoon in which we discussed the projects my team has been working on for them, and boy did they have some ideas! With the deadlines for these projects being the end of October, I had to roll with these changes very quickly.

After the meeting, I spent a few hours revising all of the various logistics plans and concept sheets we had developed for my client to add in the new ideas – some of them completely changing the concept and almost entirely throwing out the work that had been done. But, when the client wants something, you have to let it flow and do whatever it takes to make them happy, on deadline.

Unlike last week’s maintenance, this week has been filled with work. It’s like someone opened the work floodgates, to put it metaphorically.  I’ve been editing like it’s my job – it is – and revising and formatting assignments like crazy. But I can’t say this is a bad kind of stress.

I love my job, even when there is a lot to do and I feel in over my head. It may be stressful and, at times, overwhelming, but it’s what I love to do. So I let it flow.