Reverb Your Enthusiasm

  Career Development   Communications Management   New Practitioners   ProjectsAtWork  

Team enthusiasm reduces pressure to perform and transforms it into a desire to succeed. But enthusiasm can be difficult to sustain on long-term projects that run into roadblocks. In part three of our series on managing pressure, we look at ways to nurture and maintain enthusiasm on your projects.

This is the third 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.

When was the last time a project ran into trouble because the team was enthusiastic about their tasks, or that you told your kids they are too enthusiastic about their school work? Enthusiasm is one of psychology’s most positive emotions, and heavy doses of it are good for you and your team.

In our personal lives, enthusiasm fuels zest for life, makes us more attractive to others, and energizes our relationships. In our work, enthusiasm stimulates creativity and broadens our perspectives, which is essential for problem solving. It also provides energy for overcoming setbacks and bonds team members. It’s good to be enthused.

The evolutionary function of enthusiasm is to motivate our desire to deepen engagement and develop interest. Those who became engaged in their tasks and developed interests to learn more had a survival edge. The same is true today: …

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