Early in my public relations career, I found myself facing major pitfalls. Confusion. Crisis. Stress. Anger. All have been prevalent at a variety of levels over the past few years.
Insert Zack Schwartz.
Schwartz, an award-winning author and psychologist, granted 12 seniors 90 minutes to discuss his tactics as a professional working in a high-stress industry.
Upon arrival, our guest looked anything but professional. Sporting a gray, shaggy beard to match his equally elongated hair, Schwartz appeared more prepared for a rock ’n’ roll concert than an intensive question-and-answer session.
“Please stand up,” Schwartz first told us in a relaxed, congested voice. “Now, shake yourself loose because it’s important to be relaxed in order to be grounded.”
Grounded. I had never heard of the term. According to Schwartz, grounding oneself is the key to success.
Throughout the question-and-answer session, Schwartz continually spoke of grounding oneself when dealing with pressure, both professionally and socially.
“Grounding yourself unhooks a person from everything and allows you to go back to step one,” Schwartz stressed.
And he’s right.
When confronted with an uncomfortable situation, I, like many of my peers, often freeze up with panic. Although I am using my full effort to complete a task that best represents Allen Hall Public Relations, the New Venture Championship team, and my client, I have found myself in situations where I am caught in the moment and not using my best judgment.
Now, I simply stay grounded by taking a deep breath and regaining my focus. It allows clear and rational thoughts and prevents loose cannon mistakes.
Each individual has his or her own technique for grounding oneself. It may be as time-consuming as exercise or as simple as my deep breath approach.
“It’s important to find what works for you,” Schwartz said, “because doing or saying something you regret can ruin your credibility for a lifetime.”
Now, because of grounding, my credibility can stay safe and I can represent my client, my firm and myself in a professional and successful manner.
