5 top tips to tackle stress in the workplace
5 top tips to tackle stress in the workplace
Article written by Karen Florence-McMullen
Stress in the workplace is a major problem. While there is no way to prevent “stressors” from occurring, helping employees handle those stressors is key. When I am working with groups, I always start out with an exercise I call Conscious Relationship Building. I ask the group to tell me how they want to be treated as we move forward. It soon becomes apparent the Golden Rule is not alive and well in many work environments. This is a major stressor.
Here are 5 top tips that have helped me to prevent empoyee stress in my company:
1. Treat me with respect. Keep in mind your version of respect may not meet theirs. Respect is word we throw around but rarely define. Have your people define it. Once you define what respect means to your group and then respect them in that way, they will do anything for you.
2. I want to be heard. Nothing is more frustrating than having something to say and not be able to say it. When you look at your staff, are they serfs or partners? Serfs are expected to do what they are told and be quiet.
Partners are part of the team. Each member is vital. I love to dig into a group to find the “hidden talent”, the ability no one knows is there.
3. Creating an atmostsphere of engagement and trust, freedom to exchange ideas and suggest a different way, allows everyone to be heard. The art of listening, acknowledging and appreciating goes a long way in reducing stress.
4. Make each other right. This is the one that most managers overlook. And it can be a hard one because it has to do with habits and judgment. Making someone right means before you find all the things that are wrong, you first find what is right. That is not how we are programmed. For a moment though, think what it would be like if you went to your superior, explained your idea and he or she said ‘Let’s examine what is right about that idea”, instead of ‘That won’t work because blah blah blah’. What if we created an environment where people could be excepted for who they are and feel free to express their ideas without fear of ridicule? Making each other right allows the guy who tinkers in his basement at night to bring his idea to you. Who knows, it might be the next big thing.
5. Be fair. This is a broad statement that reaches to every part of your company. When employees know that no matter what happens, you will be fair, they can be more relaxed when crisis strikes. From work assignments to travel, if your employees know you will be doling out tasks in a fair way, they will gladly take their turn when they are asked to go beyond the call of duty. Everyone gets equal treatment and equal share of the good and the bad. Don’t forget the importance that equal recognition has on your staff, either. When they know they are going to get the kudos, they are more likely to give the push you need from them.
Relieving stress in a dysfunctional work place is impossible. Working towards minimizing stress and creating a cooperative environment is definitely doable. Taking the time to value your employees, be fair to them, make them feel “right” by hearing what they want to contribute in a respectful way that is meaningful to them will go a long way in building a team that plays hard and works hard. Stressors are always going to show up – use these tips to build a team that can handle them.
Karen is an Executive Career Coach at Core Principles Coaching
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