The Hidden Cost of Winning: What High-Stakes Work Does to Us

In the world of work-winning, high performance is often the norm, not the exception. Tight deadlines, constant pressure, long hours, and the weight of knowing that one document can shape the future of an entire business.

For many, this environment brings a buzz: the adrenaline of a live bid, the sharp focus that comes with competition, the energy of pulling together something brilliant under pressure.

But here's the thing I keep asking myself: What does it cost us?

The human body isn’t designed to operate in a permanent state of urgency. Cortisol spikes, adrenaline floods our system, and we enter a kind of survival mode, alert, sharp, but often disconnected from what we really need.

Short bursts? We can handle it. But when it becomes the default setting, the way we’re expected to work day in, day out, that’s when the cracks start to show.

Fatigue. Anxiety. Cynicism. A team that looks successful on the surface but is quietly burning out underneath.

I’ve worked with so many talented bid professionals who care deeply about their work, their clients, and their teams. But caring becomes harder when we’re stretched thin. Creativity dries up. Collaboration suffers. We lose the very qualities that make bids win, curiosity, energy, connection, insight.

At Win Smart, I believe we need to start talking about this more openly.

This isn’t about lowering ambition. It’s about working smarter, not harder. It’s about creating team cultures that can still deliver under pressure, but without sacrificing wellbeing, or treating stress like a badge of honour.

Because we’re not machines. We’re people. And work-winning should never come at the cost of the humans doing the work.

If this resonates, if your team is feeling the strain,

I’d love to explore how we can support you to work in a more sustainable, connected way.

You can feel the difference in a team that’s connected, supported, and set up to thrive, not just survive.