Leaders Can Reduce Stress in the Workplace

Workplace stress is a growing concern and threatens organizational productivity and the mental and physical health of Americans today.  The Seventh Annual Labor Day Survey sponsored by The Marlin Company found the following:

Stress:  More than a third of workers (35%) say their jobs are harming their physical or emotional health and 42% say job pressures are interfering with their personal relationships; half say they have a  more demanding workload this year than last.

The Workplace Stress Scale:  The Marlin Company and the American Institute of Stress have created a quick test for people to measure their job stress levels and compare themselves with the rest of the American work force. 

Bullying:  It goes hand in hand with anger and stress and low job satisfaction – and 19% of us say it’s happened in our workplace in the last year.

The American Dream?  73% of American workers say they would NOT want their boss’s job!

More On Stress In The Workplace

• 40% of workers reported their job was very or extremely stressful;
• 25% view their jobs as the number one stressor in their lives;
• Three fourths of employees believe that workers have more on-the-job stress than a generation ago;
• 29% of workers felt quite a bit or extremely stressed at work;
• 26 percent of workers said they were "often or very often burned out or stressed by their work";
• Job stress is more strongly associated with health complaints than financial or family problems.

This information was obtained in the 1990's in large surveys by Northwestern National Life Insurance Co, Princeton Survey Research Associates, St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Co., Yale University and The Families and Work Institute.

Defining Stress

“Mental, emotional, or physical strain caused, for example by anxiety or overwork.  It may cause such symptoms as raised blood pressure or depression.”

“Something that causes mental or emotional strain.”
    - Source:  Encarta Dictionary

Symptoms of Stress:

Tired, inability to focus, depression, irritability, aches and pains, immune system is low and more prone to illness such as colds and flu.

Common Causes of Workplace Stress

• Major changes
• Concern over security and future of job
• Toxic relationships with boss or colleagues
• Inability to discuss and resolve problems with someone in authority
• Increased workload to the point of inability to keep up
• Responsibility without sufficient authority
• Poor time management or organizational skills
• Fear due to harsh management styles of leaders
• Frustration over ineffective or insufficient processes beyond one’s control
• Unresolved personal problems
  

Emotional Intelligence Helps Reduce Stress

Emotional Intelligence is the ability to intentionally make your emotions work for you by using them to help guide your behavior and thinking in ways that enhance your results.

• The ability to accurately perceive, appraise, and express emotion.
• The ability to access or generate feelings on demand when they can facilitate understanding of yourself or another person.
• The ability to understand emotions and the knowledge that derives from them.
• The ability to regulate emotions to promote emotional and intellectual growth.

Excerpt from Emotional Intelligence At Work
– by Hendrie Weisinger, Ph.D.

Skills That Build Emotional Resilience

• Awareness of emotions
• Ability to manage emotions
• Control of emotional impulses
• Capacity to CHOOSE desired emotional state
• Open to learning and growth, feedback from others
• Communication skills
• Conflict management skills
• Manage physical well-being with adequate exercise, sleep, and healthy diet.
• Social life and positive family relationships, and time away from work for fun and recreation.
  
  

What Can Leaders To Do Reduce Stress In the Workplace?

Primarily, leaders need to be aware of and in touch with employees.  Leaders who communicate and make opportunities with employees face to face, “management by walking around” is still a good approach.  Here are some tips for leaders to reduce workplace stress:

• Hold regular forums to discuss workplace issues with general themes that give people an opportunity to talk about what is working and not working.
• Give employees a chance to contribute ideas for increasing effectiveness; make sure these ideas get real responses.
• Hold  personal growth seminars on topics such as communication, balancing your time, handling finances and setting boundaries with others. 
• Train leaders, managers, and supervisors to communicate effectively, exercise emotional intelligence in dealing with people, especially with regard to giving performance feedback, managing change and dealing with conflict. 
• Provide coaching, counseling and other resources for employee development and for life challenges such as death, divorce and financial emergencies.
• Share the Stress Test (click here to download) and hold a discussion about the kinds of things that cause stress in your workplace.  Brainstorm ways to reduce those stressors. 
  

About the Author: Elaine Siciliano Morris is principal consultant and founder of Sea Change Inc, an organizational effectiveness firm based in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. A frequent keynote speaker and workshop presenter on leadership, corporate culture and personal growth, Elaine works with leaders and their teams to create productive and rewarding work environments. More information about her is available on her website: www.seachangecoach.com, or contact Elaine by phone at 972-407-0648.