Create Micro-Success

  Career Development   New Practitioners   Talent Management   Teams   ProjectsAtWork  

By creating attainable goals early in a project and celebrating these small wins, leaders reduce pressure on themselves and their teams. They also build confidence and morale, which helps develop the tenacity to overcome future obstacles and achieve bigger victories down the line.

This is the second article in an original series based on principles and tools described in the book Performing Under Pressure: The Science of Doing Your Best When It Matters Most, by Hendrie Weisinger and J.P. Pawliw-Fry.

Every project has a specific goal to achieve but if it is going to take six months to accomplish, you have a long time to wait until you can experience success. In the meantime, it’s easy to feel the pressure — frustration when progress is stalled; responsibility for the results as the project deadline approaches; and anxiety of whether you will produce the needed results. Distraction, loss of focus, and team conflict also can surface as the feelings of pressure increase.   

To protect yourself and your team from the pressures surrounding the pursuit of long-term goals and the frustrations that inevitably arise, create micro-successes. The concept is based on the fact that even small victories — a productive conversation with your boss, a positive phone call with a client, a compliment from a colleague or friend — can have the same impact …

Please log in or sign up below to read the rest of the article.