And Carrie On

This post is a little vulnerable, but I think it’s important to be honest.

The work of MarComm leaders is a constant balancing act. There is so much strategic work that we should be focused on, but we are often the people involved in the crisis and last-minute needs that can distract us.

The tension between those two things is constant and never-ending. We must keep the strategic things moving, while still helping with the mission-critical and urgent things. That ability to balance is tested most when the stakes are high and the spotlight is on.

Recently, we had two big work projects going on. Things that I’ve led on and have been so proud of. These were transformational moments for the university, and I felt so honored that I was the one tasked to run point on these. I was trusted to be the point person and to execute.

However, in the month leading up to one of them, I found the pressure of that position (combined with all the daily tasks) beginning to impact me. I was worried about how these big projects would be received.

Some of the thoughts I had were:

• What if people didn’t like it?
• What if I hadn’t thought about a detail?
• What if the timing was off?
• What if the communication cadence was wrong?

As a result, for several days I was stressed, didn’t sleeping much, had no appetite, and was nauseous. They were all classic signs that I was internalizing the work. In putting lots of pressure on myself, I was robbing myself of the joy of leading such an important project. This wasn’t coming from leaders on campus. It was coming from me, and it was rooted in my imposter syndrome. (I’ve shared before about my struggles with it).

If you know me, you know I care deeply about things. As I’ve reflected, I think many MarComm leaders do the same. We see the work as a reflection of us. In talking to Chris one night, I shared some of what I was feeling, and he reminded me that caring is important.

We want people to care. And we should care. However, healthy care is one thing. Incessant worrying is something else. — Chris Phillips

Strategies to Manage Pressure

Over those couple of weeks, I worked through the pressure and the worry with a few core strategies. I am sharing those today, because I hope it’s helpful to keep your care in check and manage the pressure.

Talk to people you trust outside your work: Chris and I had several conversations where I shared how I was feeling. He listened and helped me work through my worry. We brainstormed together, and it helped me realize that I’d done my very best and that’s all that could be asked. This kind of conversation could be with anyone, but it’s important to not carry the pressure alone.

Talk to people who know your work (and you): I’m fortunate to have a great group of MarComm leaders I regularly text with. They reminded me that I know the work’s best practices and followed those. Therefore, the work itself would be solid. They also encouraged me that I was wonderful, regardless of any feedback.

Be kind to yourself: Self-talk is one of the most helpful and most negative things we can do for ourselves. Our minds process all the time, and sometimes our mind starts to spiral. I found myself stepping in and managing the self-talk. I forced myself to pause and tell myself I had researched, worked hard, and prepared. That was all that could be asked. If there was feedback, it could be a great lesson but worrying was not productive. (I had to say that several times.)

Remember the long game: I pulled out my win journal and looked through all the things I am proud of. This helped me remember that I was much more than just the latest project. I had a history of doing great work. We can always learn and do better, but one project (if it didn’t go perfectly) wasn’t going to define me.

Chat GPT: One of the things I know about me is that preparation helps me mitigate my worry. I plugged my plan into ChatGPT and asked it to help me think through any blind spots that might be contributing to the worry. It helped me identify a few possibilities, and I was able to modify the plan to address a few of those.

Moving On

For those who are curious, the projects went well and were positively received. However, in my growth-mindset approach to life, this was a wakeup call for me that I need to more regularly visit some of the strategies above to not let future projects impact me so much. I have aspirations of taking on more opportunity, and so this is an area I need to continue working on. Part of the way I’m doing that is being honest about it.

Additionally, I hope this has been helpful from a practical level. Knowing how to manage these moments, to recognize when the pressure is starting to impact you, and having the tools to handle it is something that is critical for leaders. Too often, we just talk about the great wins and the successes, and we aren’t as candid about the doubt, the struggles, and the late-night conversations with ourselves. I hope this helps the next generation of leaders see the struggles we face, but even more importantly see that we can work through them and succeed. For this one, I’m really proud that I’m Carrying On!