Remaining Enthusiastic In A Pressurized World BY MARK NEELY
around us really are working just as hard as we are and that they too are feeling similarly. This is a natural reaction to pressure. But when a whole department is feeling it – or worse, a whole company is feeling it – then it is likely that many, if not most of the people, including ourselves, have begun to feel isolated and even a bit lost in our jobs. Establishing and maintaining an organizational culture based in trust and cooperation is essential. Unfortunately, organizations that are able, in principle and action, to fol- low such a model are the exception and not the rule. Getting Feedback From Employees For starters, it might be helpful to get honest feedback from employees. This can be difficult, though, especially if the culture has developed a pervasive worry that “bad news” is not to be openly spoken and shared. Many man- agers and owners may over time become distanced from their own employees. They see what they want to see and are unaware that people are quietly suffering. If the num- bers look good then the company must be in good shape. People are resilient and, for the most part, have a high tolerance to pain. They even expect to come to a work environment that will not be sympathetic to their feelings. That is part of the job. They are paid a wage or salary in exchange, partly, for dealing with the slings and arrows of daily work life and even, to some extent, are paid to smile when the boss asks, “How are you?” Ask yourself if this is a good thing.
Each of us handles a good amount of pressure and stress each day. In tough times, it can even sometimes feel that the weight of our company’s or department’s struggles is resting squarely on our shoulders and we wonder why so many of the people around us aren’t pulling their weight. Owners sometimes feel this way. Managers do too. In fact, almost everyone in a company can feel this way at times. When we feel overwhelmed by responsibility and fear that we are not meeting others’ expectations, there is a good chance we are feeling the effects of pressure in a way that can lead us to a perspective of self-focus. In that case, we become defensive or shut out from information or help that might make things easier and help us to get over the feeling of being overwhelmed. In such situations, most of us simply hunker down, worrying that if others see us experiencing the pressure, they will think less of us. This magnifies the feeling of being overwhelmed. We are not exactly blinded but we go from having clear vision to holding a skewed and foggy view. It can easily happen that, in high-pressure times, we are appreciating our own pain more than we are recogniz- ing the pain of those around us. It can happen that, under pressure, we may even lose sight of the fact that those
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MARK NEELY Training and Consulting Services
■ Mark has over 25 years experience delivering Sales and Negotiation Training to the Corrugated Packaging Industry ■ Using a 360º approach to developing both External as well as Internal relationships, Mark will help your whole team work together to expand your customer base, create closer ties between departments and build profits ■ Mark specializes in Customized Training Programs and Consulting Services that are created by matching your company’s capabilities to the goals you have set
■ Prospecting and Leads Generation ■ Trust Building and Di erentiation ■ Sales Results Measurement TRAINING TOPIC EXAMPLES
■ Sales Management ■ Building Cooperative and Collaborative Teams ■ On-boarding of New Sales Reps CONSULTING SERVICES
and Accountability ■ Negotiating Skills
310-346-5476 markneely5476@gmail.com ■ www.markneelyseminars.com
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October 6, 2025
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