The Importance of Stress

Stop me if you've heard this one…

Company starts a new, large project. Business leader and/or consultant defines a project ROI. To capture it, they build a detailed implementation road map. At the bottom of that road map is one line that runs across the entire project labeled 'Change and Communications.' No other details provided.

Why?..."We don't want [insert stakeholder] to think this is difficult."

I want to let you in on a little secret…

It is difficult. And you're actually making the problem worse.

One of our greatest sources of frustration is the difference between what we expect and what we get.

What if we stopped selling the magic pill and instead communicated the value of stress? After all, a muscle grows through tension. Bone density increases through resistance. Moderate stress strengthens neural connections in the brain.

Companies are no different. A leader is valued for leading through crisis. A team grows more trusting when faced with challenges. A company becomes more competitive through…competition.

So, the next time you need to sell an idea, a project, or a change…consider aligning expectations with reality:

 "It's not that it will be easy. It's that it will be worth it."