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How To Manage High-Stress Situations – In Business or in Fishing

Remaining calm under pressure is a critical skill in business and, I recently learned, in striped bass fishing. In fact, the ability to manage high-stress situations is one of the primary characteristics that distinguishes top performers from others. And it’s particularly important – and challenging – for leaders. I like to think I’m pretty good at managing stress. But recently, I experienced a textbook example of choking. How does choking work? Pressure increases your anxiety about performing correctly. As a result, you pay so much attention to the minute details of what you’re doing that you actually perform worse. So what happened to me? I know the best technique for catching a striped bass in Boston Harbor. I really do. I’ve caught dozens, well, at least a dozen. But fishing alone — or with a normal person — is no match for the stress of fishing with Pete. Pete is a good friend and one of the most intensely competitive people I know. Even more importantly, he’s guided me on several major outdoor experiences, including a three-week hike in the backwoods of Canada. So when I had an opportunity to take him fishing in Boston Harbor, I really wanted him to catch a […]

Five Survival Tips for Working From Home

Today, more and more people are seeing the benefits of working from home. In 2017, remote work was the fourth most popular job search term used by people looking for jobs. This is no surprise: Working from home reduces stress, increases family time, saves money on gas and other costs, and eliminates hours of commuting time each week. But there are also challenges – from loneliness, to distractions, to the difficulty with signing off at the end of the day. A recent New Yorker article summarized it well: 911 OPERATOR: 911—what’s your emergency? ROBERT: Hi, I . . . uh . . . I work from home. We have an entirely remote model, with more than 100 team members working from home. Since many of us still struggle with the challenges on an ongoing basis, we decided to survey our team members to identify their biggest challenges – and their top tips for overcoming them. Here’s are the top tips we found: Get a home office – or at least an “office” Don’t work from your kitchen table. Even if you don’t have a home office, Rony, one of our team leads, suggests you should “have your own ‘office space’ […]

Is Your Leadership Team at Risk of Burnout? Here are 5 Steps You Can Take

On a recent Monday morning, I opened my computer and was faced with one of my biggest leadership challenges yet. Bianca, my director of operations, reached out to me on Skype. She was feeling stressed and overwhelmed. Worst of all, she felt like she was being unproductive–she felt like a failure. She thought she was letting me–and the entire company–down. Bianca is key to my company’s success, and I knew that if we didn’t fix the problem, there was a real chance she would leave. Top performers, unsurprisingly, are the most likely employees to face burnout. This is particularly true in startups, where the hours can be long and job requirements can change rapidly. A team member who isn’t enjoying her job and feels like she isn’t growing might quit even if she’s otherwise a great fit for the company, the team, and the role. However, many leaders take a “suck it up” attitude to team members who are stressed and overwhelmed, rather than focusing on what they can do differently. I quickly realized that Bianca’s concerns were symptoms of a wider challenge. We had almost doubled in size, from 60 team members a year ago to over 100 today. […]

Reflections on Our Corporate Planning Summit

In late July, we had our first Corporate Planning Summit. We brought together the entire leadership team, along with all HQ staff, for an incredible weekend in Manila. I have finally digested the wonderful ideas and touching moments of the Summit and wanted to share it broadly with the Peak Support community. On Saturday, we kicked off the Summit with a casual and delicious buffet dinner. I sat at the far end of the table and caught up with Jim, Mark, Roland, Trish, Trixie, Kim & Cyrene. As I looked across the room, it was great to see everyone settle-in and spend quality in-person time. We ended the dinner with a brief toast to our H1 2018 success and set the agenda for the next day. I jetted off to bed; which meant I fell right asleep and then got up at 12 midnight and stayed up through the next morning. Damn you jetlag! Sunday was the big day. After breakfast, we descended on the conference room. It was a big, luxurious room with formal table settings and all the equipment we needed. On the left side of the room were tall windows looking onto a rainy Filinvest City. The […]

Peak Support Q&A: Iar Indus

Iar is a statuesque beauty who joined the ever-growing Peak Support family in March of 2017. Iar lives in a town in the southern part of the Philippines where she enjoys spending her days off from work catching up with friends. Let’s get to know Iar better in the second installment of the Peak Support Agent Q&A. See also our other Agent Q&As with Mimi Abelarde and Mark Pabriaga. Please introduce yourself! Hi! I’m Iar! I’m the friendliest looking girl in town. Making friends is one of the best things in the world because I always want to promote world peace. Life is simple so let’s not put too much stress on ourselves, smile always, and let’s make this world a better place to live in. What is your secret talent? It’s a secret! Lol. What’s the one place in the world that you’d love to go to and why? Maldives, because it’s a beautiful island where I can relax and enjoy. Which cartoon character are you? Wonder Woman. Describe your hometown in one word. Friendly. What’s most important in a relationship? Trust. Earlier this year, you went off to spend a few months in a beautiful European country. Why did […]

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