Thriving Through Challenge and Change – Performance Under Pressure

A practical, evidence-informed framework to help you think clearly, stay focused, and make better decisions when the stakes are high.

In today’s disrupted work environment, it’s not uncertainty itself that derails performance – it’s how we respond to it. When pressure rises, attention narrows, decision-making deteriorates, and even experienced professionals can default to unhelpful patterns that increase stress and reduce effectiveness. This session focuses on the real-time choices that shape how we think, act, and lead in challenging conditions.

Drawing on over 15 years of research and real-world application, Dr Lucy Hone introduces three practical decision frameworks that can be used immediately. Participants will learn how to focus their attention on what matters most (Ruthless Prioritisation), apply a simple filter to guide better decisions (Helping or Harming), and reduce the internal pressure that undermines performance (Real-not-Perfect). These tools are evidence based, but practical and widely applicable enough to quickly become part of your team’s default operating system.

By the end of the session participants will:

– Understand the three critical decisions that shape performance under pressure

– Develop a clear, memorable language they can take back to their team to improve effectiveness

– Be able to recognise and reduce the patterns that increase stress and undermine performance