Press the button…

What does “press the button” actually mean?

In classic experiments on stress, people performed tasks that required concentration, like solving puzzles, whilst being blasted at random intervals with uncomfortably loud sounds.  The individuals started sweating and their heart rates and blood pressure climbed.   They struggled to concentrate and made mistakes and many just gave up.  Searching for a way to reduce the anxiety, researchers gave the participants an escape.  If the noise became too unpleasant they could press a button and make the noise stop.  The button allowed them to stay calmer and make fewer mistakes.  The most surprising result was that no-one pressed the button.  Knowing they could stop the noise gave them a sense of control and allowed them to endure the stress.

This story comes from the book Option B by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant.  In the book they put the button into another context.  Grant  a lecturer sadly had a student who committed suicide and he regretted he had not spotted the signs of stress earlier.  He struggled for a long time to overcome any guilt.  To move forward he started every lecture by ensuring his mobile number was clearly displayed in the class, in effect this was the button.

Do you provide a button to your team, do they know that support is there.  Think how you can instigate the button within your organisation.  Coaching and mentoring being formalised could provide buttons.  Buddy schemes for new recruits, and always ensuring your team members have a line manager who conducts regular 1:1 meetings. Larger organisations have well being help lines and by ensuring the number is displayed provides the button security.

At home we now all have our mobile numbers, however do we provide a “button’ service in other ways.  How often do you sit around a table and ensure you really listen to each other?  This is the best “button” you can ever provide.

Please do get in touch for a workshop on Resilience  bev@nuggetsoflearning.co.uk