Among the many important lessons, I learned during my career in corporate finance was staying calm during chaos if one wanted to stay productive and meet deadlines without going into a flat line.

One of the worst memories I have is of the time when the insurance company I was working in introduced both a new accounting system and an insurance module system. It was supposed to make our life easier, but the insurance modules would crash without notice.

It’s another thing that we learned later that the vendor had over-promised. Our company which was to run the initial model which would then be transferred across the regional offices was their guinea pig!

Of course, they had to fix it which they did but the crashes always happened around monthly reporting. The quarterly reports were a nightmare.

If you want to know what chaos means, that was what my team and I were living.

It wasn’t just bookkeeping.

We had to make sure all premiums were accounted for; all claims were settled and avoid the embarrassing situation of not paying our vendors on time. Worse yet, the banking module doing a double payment.

When the crash happened, we would go back to a previous backup and then manually redo all the work we had done. Our head of Information Technology started making backups every 3 hours to help us – normally 2 backups a day should have sufficed.

As the Finance Director of that company, I had to work with the vendor and somehow keeping the morale of my department up. Even when I would have preferred hiding my head in the sand like an ostrich.

It was a battle between us and Chaos and who would win it.

Memory is a strange thing.

It takes 1 little incident to remind us of what had happened earlier and to draw from our experience in order to cope with the new crisis.

In my case it was waking up one fine Monday morning to find the apartment had been flooded with water. The carpets were drenched, there was water in the living room and the bulk of it had collected in the kitchen.

The plumber came to see it and it turned out the leakage wasn’t in our pipes but those of our neighbor’s and their apartment was in a worse situation.

My poor neighbors were profusely apologetic and offered to get the carpet cleaned and all sorts of things. They didn’t need to do anything other than get the burst pipe fixed and call us if they had a repeat so I could be better prepared.

I’ve always believed that if I can get my Monday off to a good start then the rest of the week will go well.

My Monday wasn’t off to such a good start, but I could still get a handle of it if I wanted to.

So, after I finished getting the home back to a semblance of normalcy, I decided to take control of my day and get some calm back into it.

I stayed off social media, didn’t watch the news and reduced interactions with difficult people as much as possible.

Instead I focused on my energy and what I wanted to achieve during the week.

It’s my normal way of reclaiming my power over myself and balancing my energies using my favourite chakra balancing exercises.

My Blanchard Quadrants too came into play – if it wasn’t urgent or important or I didn’t have to do it or want to do it, the task was shifted to the next day or later for the week.

You see, no matter what is happening in your life and around you, the only thing you can control is yourself.

When others are stressed out, when chaos abounds all around you, you can manage your response and how you allow this out-of-control environment to affect you.

You can learn to be calm in the storm and remain productive despite chaotic conditions.

Not sure how?

Follow these 5 simple steps to learn to stay calm and be productive during the most challenging of times.

I learned it during my computer system crash days and can say with conviction that it works.

Step 1. Get your Stress under Control

You can’t remain productive and calm if you, too, are stressed out and feeling full of chaos. Learning to manage your personal stress and find ways to lower it when it is high are essential.

Deep breathing exercises are quite useful. Many people like to meditate to reduce stress. Going for a short walk can also help.

One of my favorite ways to do this is to gently tap my heart with my left hand fingers, breathe deeply and affirm ‘All is well’.

Find techniques that you can practice wherever you may be and use them often when things start to feel chaotic.

Getting your own stress under control means you are more likely to handle whatever comes your way productively.

Step 2. Focus on what you can control

In many situations, things feel crazy and chaotic because there is much that is outside of your personal control. To stay productive, you must focus only on that which is firmly within your influence.

Everything else is going to happen no matter what you do. But the things you can control are where you can make a difference.

So when we started having the system crashes, I discussed the matter with our Country Manager and the Head of IT and we decided to increase the number of backups and also set up a protocol system to discover where and when the crashes were taking place so we could reduce business disruption.

When you recognize that something is outside your power, let it go and move on.

Learning to focus on what you can change and ignoring the rest is a helpful strategy when things seem to be a little chaotic.

Step 3. Use your Resilience

The best trait you can cultivate for learning to stay calm amid turmoil is resilience. Resilience is your ability to adapt to stressful situations and bounce back from obstacles, setbacks, and unexpected outcomes.

Resilience is made from many traits and skills that you can practice and hone.

Here are just a few ways to develop your resilience.

• Learn to rely on your strengths.
• Connect with positive people around you to help you through challenging situations. Support is vital in all difficulties.
• Focus on solving the problem. The energy you spend on complaining, bemoaning your circumstances, and blaming others are not energy well spent. What can you do right now to solve the problem? Do that?
• Get perspective. Place the problem in the context of reality, focusing on its real significance in the grand scheme. This gives you the ability to focus on what is essential right now.
• Remain positive in your ability to make a difference and solve the problem. A positive mindset is crucial during challenging times.

For more tips, check out my presentation.

Step 4. Look for the Lessons in Every Situation

There is always something you can learn, even from the most chaotic of times. You can find many opportunities for growth if you have the right mindset.

I saw that in play when we used to have the crashes. My boss, the Country Manager would reframe the incident as a learning lesson. It was also a hands on lesson on Emotional Intelligence.

It’s a tool I value even today because difficulties give us an opportunity to exercise our focus and determination. During trying times we need to concentrate on maintaining a calm soul and conquer the challenges that face us.

Avoid being reactive to difficult situations that catch you off guard. You can choose to take the higher road.

Even if keeping calm is the least natural approach for you, develop the will to overcome the tough situation and learn from it.

What I realized back then and which serves me even now is that giving in to negativity only serves to worsen any situation – system crashes, floods from next door or anything awful that you can imagine to throw your work and life into a tizzy.

Instead, focus on overcoming the challenge at hand by counteracting negativity with positivity and peace.

Handle trying times by acting from a place of calm reasoning. When the soul is calm, we are able to think things through. By rejecting unease at our core, we make smart choices that produce finer results.

See the value in all your life experiences. Even obstacles become worthwhile and meaningful when seen in this light.

Step 5. Be Grateful for What is Good in Your Life

Remaining calm and productive when everything seems out of control can be hard. To keep an optimistic outlook and remain composed, think of those things that are really working in your life.

Studies have shown that the practice of gratitude is linked to our levels of happiness and contentment.

Gratitude is like magic! The more grateful you are the happier and the more content you become.

The book, “The Magic,” by Rhonda Byrne, author of “The Secret,” takes you through a step-by-step and 28-day formula for bringing more gratitude into your life.

Gratitude can truly transform your life, from one of misery and discontent to one of deep satisfaction and joy.

Ancient yogis knew about the secret power of gratitude: The yoga sutras speak of how being aware of and being grateful for the abundance of life and the flow of life that is all around us, opens the way for more streams of abundance to come to us.

When we focus on what we are grateful for, we get more of it. “That which you focus on grows,” according to mindfulness practitioners.

Therefore, when you focus on what you lack, you block the flow of unlimited potential, which exists in the universe.

When you focus on what you are grateful for, you open your heart to the infinite abundance, which is available to each one of us.

So, the days when the system didn’t crash at work, I was grateful for it and the gaps between the crashes started to increase.

As for the water made Monday disaster, the funny thing is, the minute I started to be grateful for all the things that didn’t get damaged and added to my gratitude list, the day went better and funnily enough, it was a productive Monday too!

Here are 2 simple daily practices I recommend building gratitude into your life:

• Keep a gratitude journal. At the end of each day, write down in your journal five things that happened in your day that you are grateful for.
• Carry a gratitude stone in your pocket. Find a rock or gemstone which appeals to you and put it in your pocket. Each time you touch the stone, remember the feeling of gratitude and something you are truly grateful for.

Make gratitude part of your daily practice for one month and notice the benefits. You will feel happier, more joyful, centered, and content. Being grateful truly works like a miracle and can transform the way you view the world.

The secret to an abundant life is all in how you view it. Even when something happens that hurts, there is a gift and a blessing to be found in the experience. If only you are open to seeing what it is!

Count your blessings and acknowledge your gratitude. This will help you place the chaos into perspective, as well.

Where will you focus your energy this week?

Additional Resource for staying calm and building your resilience to stress

If you’re looking for stress busting exercises that also build your resilience and sense of calm, then check out my Stress Management Bundle.

It has all my favorite Chakra balancing exercises, 1 Minute techniques to raise your vibration and attract what you want instead of what you want to get rid of, using your voice to reduce stress levels (I don’t mean shouting though) + some cool bonus resources.

How does a report on using crystals and gemstones for Chakra Meditation, a complete Chakra Chart and using the magic in your finger for immediate stress relief sound to you?

Good?

Then click here or the below image to learn more and download your bundle.

Update: 13 July 2024 – Overcoming Corporate Burnout

Too much of anything is bad for your mental, physical and emotional well-being.

That holds for stress and even chaotic workplaces.

The World Health Organization classifies burnout as a “syndrome” that is caused by “chronic workplace stress.”

Burnout is described as an “occupational phenomenon,” that can lead to serious physical and mental health concerns.

Corporate burnout is a growing issue that affects professionals across industries, leading to decreased productivity, compromised health, and diminished job satisfaction.

In “Overcoming Corporate Burnout,” you’ll discover practical strategies and actionable steps to reclaim your vitality and reignite your passion for your work. This concise, insightful guide is designed specifically for busy professionals who need quick yet effective solutions to manage stress and prevent burnout.

It’s been written by a professional who’s had to face burnout and survived.

Now it’s your turn to learn the basics to prevent burnout and start your road to recovery if you’re already experiencing burnout. Learn more here or by clicking on the book cover below.

Time management tips are easy to find on the internet. What about time management styles that plays havoc with a career?

This post is dedicated to every manager who has ever had to deal with a team member who couldn’t function without the leader playing the role of a sheep dog.And the proactive steps we can take to make a difference.

How I became a Sheep Dog style Manager

A few years back, I had an assistant who, bless his heart was sincere and dedicated. He was always willing to go the extra mile and worked the longest hours. He could go without food and drink for hours at an end.

He delivered on deadlines. He got a promotion to the next level because he had demonstrated that he was an ideal worker and had potential.

My fellow managers and I were considering him for a fast track progression when signs of trouble appeared.

It was his first assignment as a Team Leader on an offsite location audit. There were hiccups due to the client’s unpreparedness and lots of long-distance fire fighting back at headquarters.

We saved the day. But when it came to appraisal time, I struggled with the Partner to whom we both reported to get him a 3 on the performance bell curve. My boss wanted to give him a 1 and then in an act of charity said 2 was his last offer.

I pleaded that the team member, whom I’ll call John Doe be given some credit for his dedication, the circumstances of the audit and the client’s lack of co-operation. One had to appreciate his commitment to the craft and employer.

It was a fact that he had only been a year in his newly promoted position. He needed time to transition to the responsibilities of field management and managing a team of juniors at client location.

The matter was thrown open to the group managers who had also worked with him for consensus on grading.

Consensus agreed that John Doe needed more training in various project execution areas.

We needed resources trained in our firm’s methodology for the particular time constrained project which was creating the problem on grading.

The 1 would have been a boot out and a 2 was equally bad for pay increments and bonus. John Doe survived appraisal time based on benefit of doubt. He got a 3 on the bell curve.

I was relieved until John Doe decided that he had been side-tracked and felt he deserved a 5 and another promotion to Manager. No amount of counselling helped.

His complaint to the Partner backfired.

Instead, he was cautioned to pull up his bootstraps. I moved on to a new venture soon after. John Doe was a thing of the past and his appraisal were left behind.

I recently heard was that John Doe had slipped through the cracks and was allegedly in therapy or at least had been advised to go for it. He was at boot out stage.

Sad news really, but when I look back at it objectively, I realize his time management got him where he was. My experience had not been a one off based on an assignment.

History apparently kept repeating itself. In a high pressured corporate environment where everyone is vying to get that promotion & career progression, that is professional hara kiri.

In other words, he was a Sheep without a Sheep Dog Time Manager

I learnt that as long as he was being directed and monitored, it was okay. As long as there was someone to get him out of his crises, it was okay.

Looking back, I realize the deadlines were met when I rolled up my sleeves and sat with him to complete the task at hand. Or when I delegated his work to others.

He didn’t follow my advice to go home and rest and come back the next day to look at things with a fresh pair of eyes.

I recalled getting irritated with him and telling him to take responsibility for his actions and prioritize his tasks.

Redoing areas of his work inhibited my ability to review the work since I was doing work that I was meant to review. It meant I had to bring in the Partner for a senior review.

This was a listed company as well as a global client. We had to manage our risks.

I remember his crying after that and my giving him something easy to do. His subordinate was delegated the task of doing the required work. There was no way I could manage a project focused on one person.

Then I remembered that he had been passed onto me by another manager for my team. In my naivety, I had believed the glowing praise with which he had been transferred to me.

Now I knew why.

It was my desire to motivate him that made me give him a 3. It was my knowing that he had some good qualities and that the consequences of a 2 or a 1 would far outweigh his time management skills that decided things in his favor that time.

Quite obviously his next boss who was a male did not have that feminine empathy or my gullibility!

Update:

I narrated the story of John Doe in this blog post in January 2014, a good 7 years after I had last seen him.

In June 2016, I learned the sad news from a former team member that John Doe had passed away earlier during the year from health-related problems. 

It appears he was finally booted out because the pressure got too much for him. He was caught drinking during the daytime on client premises.

His drinking took over control of his life and he couldn’t keep a job for any period of time.

Did he ever get counselling or reach out for help? I don’t know but yes, this is an extreme case of a sheep that couldn’t get his act together.

Having painted a dismal picture, what exactly is this creature, the Sheep without a Sheep Dog?

It is a person who is constantly in a state of chaos, lacks focus and requires another person to direct him to enable action.

His productivity is below par and he is behind deadlines because of his self-induced chaos. The self-esteem gets affected and a vicious cycle begins of becoming even more of a sheep.

The reasons for this style of time management include:

• not seeing the big picture,
•  bad planning,
• bad estimation of time required for completion of a task,
• basing decisions on inadequate information or just simply ignoring information.

Worse yet, some people are addicted to chaos and start to like the buzz that it creates. They are completely oblivious to the stress levels that it generates for others. Especially when the delegated task is of priority and importance to complete their own work.

If you’re a manager stuck with a Sheep without a Sheep Dog, what tips can I offer for managing the employee?

For starters, review the work that needs to be done and the time limits and emphasize the same to the employee.

Prioritize the task and break it into chunks for the employee and let him run with it.

Encourage the employee to delegate the tasks that he can so that there is no overwhelm for him.

Brainstorm with him to see if there are easier alternatives that can be employed.

Taking initiative might bring the sheep back into the fold!

Be an active manager and observe your team members during the assignment.

Take notes of who is performing and who is pulling the team down. Do timely intervention without hurting the morale of the professional who isn’t performing at par.

If necessary, do a spot of counselling and mentoring on the job.

Sometimes there may be factors outside of work creating a distraction and the person isn’t really a sheep.

Make sure there is a post assignment review where the team analyses and reviews the good, bad and ugly of the engagement and new strategies are brainstormed with team buy-in for the next assignment.

The Big 4 firms where I worked had this procedure in place before audit sign-off but sometimes it would get delayed due to client commitments. This 1 step is important and should never be missed.

Make sure your team members know you’ll defend their honest mistakes and will not punish them but will look at these experiences as opportunities for growth and improvement.

But make it clear that they are responsible for their performance and need to seek guidance if required instead of covering up their weaknesses.

Lastly but not least, either review with the employee how to avoid crisis in future tasks or enroll Human Resources help to counsel the employee.

If you are a Sheep reading this, then consider taking these actions on your own initiative before it’s too late.

This post was originally written in January 2014 and has been updated in 2024.

Photo credit:  The Joke 3- Hahahaha by X posid