Pressure, priorities and performance

Many companies are feeling the pressure of 2025 not quite going as planned. It was hoped it would be a better year. The economic outlook in January was moderately optimistic. But there has been a fair amount of disruption and that has left individuals and companies with a sense of uncertainty. Amid this is the pressure to keep on going, head down and still achieve targets. Which begs the question: How do you choose priorities when there is so much uncertainty and pressure to perform?

Ask what’s needed

When companies are under pressure it usually means tightening of budgets and expectations for employees to go the extra mile. This may be achievable for a short period of time to get a project over the finish line, but if there are endless delays or the goal posts keep moving, the pressure will have an impact. This is why, when asked to put in the extra effort, it's important to clarify what the priorities are. And specifically, what milestones need to be achieved?

Having these team conversations can help focus everyone’s efforts in the same direction, identify where collaboration is needed, and whether the team has the resources it needs to accomplish the milestones. There are few things more frustrating than being asked to accomplish something without being given the support and access to the resources needed. Clarifying details up front helps to manage expectations.

People need to understand why.

Leaders will usually set priorities based on commercial constraints or targets, but these aren’t always communicated to teams. This can become a challenge. Employees start to feel that the asks keep increasing while the recognition and rewards keep diminishing. They can become demotivated and disgruntled. In the worst-case scenario, they may even resign. This makes matters worse, adding more pressure to the team members left behind who now have more work added to their load.

When the pressure is on, companies cannot afford to lose people. Having honest conversations up front, that explain the commercial situation and why certain projects or targets are being prioritised is important. When people understand what’s at stake, i.e. the company future and quite possibly even the future of their jobs, they’re more likely to understand the need to step up and put in extra effort. ?Few people enjoy working under pressure, but most are willing to work harder when they understand the bigger picture.