# Freaking Out By:: [[Ross Jackson]] 2024-02-23 Work can be filled with stress and pressure. The human response to such situations is varied. Some people work through it. Others avoid as much of it as they can. Still others freak out. Each response provides something. Working through it provides progress. Avoidance provides space. Freaking out provides a warning signal. One can argue which is the best. Working through it is a strong contender for that position. Freaking out is perhaps the least competitive. While selecting “the best” is a nearly instinctual impulse in such situations, that activity is not very interesting or informative. A potentially more enlightening approach would be to think about the desired mix of responses. In a group of 100 people, how many would one want to work through things, avoiding things, and freaking out? A mixed problem looks to harness the power of diversity. Since each response provides something, it is not a question of getting everybody to be the same (the “one best way” of Taylorism). Instead, one attempts to find the optimum mix of responses within the organization contributing to the optimum result. Freaking out can send an organizational signal that the given situation is not normal, precarious, and severe. These are good things to know. It can help those working through it to remain vigilant in their work. Ask if a mix would be more beneficial as one starts to form a hierarchy. #### Related Items [[Work]] [[Diversity]] [[Balanced]] [[Optimization]] [[Organization]] [[Stress]]