Pressure Points 4 Better

Welcome to Pressure Points – my fortnightly look back at the last episode of my Better Under Pressure podcast. Here I share my reflections and a few ideas to take away that can enable us all to be… better under pressure.

In this episode, I’m talking to David Shelley, Group CEO of Hachette UK, the second-largest consumer publisher in the country. With over two decades of publishing experience, David has worked with some of the biggest names in literature, including J.K. Rowling, Val McDermid and Mitch Albom.

He started at independent publishers, Allison & Busby. He became CEO of Orion and Little, Brown in 2015, and since January 2018 has been Hachette UK’s Group CEO as well as an Officer of the Publishers Association.

Below are my reflections from our chat and a few ideas to take away to enable us all to be… better under pressure.

4 Pressure Points

4 Better

1. 'Keep feedback as broad as possible don’t become reliant on a few sources'

On a regular basis, David asks himself this question, ‘How do I get as much feedback as possible in an honest and unfiltered way and not rely on just a few people in my team?’

What a great question!

Learning faster as a leader is particularly vital in this current environment to keep adapting, and self-awareness can be very unreliable.

Actors, after every rehearsal, are given notes from the Director and expected to work on them before the next rehearsal.

In sports, the coach gives an athlete feedback after training to improve their performance.

Who helps you grow?

In medieval times, the court jester was an entertainer with the unique role of offering candid feedback – sharing perspectives and insights that otherwise the King or Queen may not have known.

It doesn’t mean you have to act on all the feedback, but it models to everyone that you are open to learning and that you want feedback from a range of sources - as a crucial part of your growth and improvement - however senior you might be and whatever the pressure.

And make it attributable - not anonymous - if you want to grow an ‘adult to adult’ high-performance learning environment.

Ask yourself:

• Who are my court jesters?’
• How might that be limiting my self-awareness?
• Whose views might I fear? Ask them. Be brave.

2. 'What are your non-negotiables?'

I remember once a senior leader saying to, ‘I looked at my diary and thought ‘I don’t want that week!’’. It really struck me. It was as if the diary was bossing her. I remember asking her, ‘Who constructed that week? Where is your ownership?’

Think about this in terms of the shape of your week. When you look at your diary, do you see the shape you want? David uses the phrase ‘alchemic balance’. For example, he knows he needs a certain amount of time on his own to think and reflect, and yet also needs at least 3 work lunches in his diary each week. The balance of both is key. Too much of one can make him depleted.

To be at our best, we need to know our ‘non-negotiables’. We may choose to relinquish them sometimes, but the key here is that WE choose. Not the diary. if someone else is responsible for looking after your diary, agree on some principles.

Consider your non-negotiables that take care of your Body, your Mood, your Focus and your Relationships.

Ask yourself:

• What are my non-negotiables?
• What’s my ‘alchemic balance’ and how could the shape of my week more actively support that?

In each episode, I ask my guest to pick two things they do to perform well under pressure that they would pay forward to anyone listening.

Here are David's "Pay Forwards":

3. Pay Forward 1:

"Make a list of your proud achievements"

Make a habit of capturing them.

Connecting to our achievements from the past can help us achieve in the present. It can be a useful ‘pressure practice’ and can shift our mood.

David makes a point of capturing on his phone his achievements and what he learnt. He then has them on hand to look at when he is facing any challenge and needs a quick reminder. He says when he takes a look at that list, he connects back to it and remembers that he has managed tough situations before and that the business got stronger as a result.

Ask yourself:

How could I more deliberately connect to my proud achievements and capture the insights?

4. Pay Forward 2:

'Have a way of creating perspective?'

Pressure shows up for people in different ways: it’s highly individual.

At its worst, we become more reactive and sensitive; negativity becomes exaggerated and things can feel deeply personal. We lose perspective.

When we have ways to create a sense of perspective, we can realign to get the best out of our three brains and take control of our choices to make the most of pressure.

I worked with a barrister who had a pebble from his favourite beach that he would carry in his pocket. Feeling that pebble during any challenging case would always connect him to the sea – which he found extremely calming.

David’s equivalent is a moment at the top of a mountain when he felt real clarity of purpose. Recalling that, instantly creates a feeling of centeredness and calm for him and gives him a sense of perspective in moments of pressure. He reminds us that when we have those moments close to hand - as positive triggers - we can stop and reconnect to them.

Ask yourself:

• What moment can I recall that gives me a sense of calm and perspective?
• Can I call to mind the sounds / the smells / the feeling?

Hope you enjoyed this, and please share it with others.

Until next time,

Sara

Coaching Impact