What are the general causes of workplace stress?
I would put the loss of control as the major cause of stress in any workplace. In a typical week I have a lot of meetings and projects that are on a tight timeline. It seems like when I have my time management under control and I am able to create an effective strategy to accomplish everything that I need to get done in the week I feel like I am in control and I feel less stressed. On the other hand when time-management is out of whack it turns into a domino effect and one thing leads to another and I loss control of the weeks events. This is when I feel the most stress. Stress is something that can bring us down if we don’t learn how to manage it. I have seen people that have been stressed and they do things that are really unhealthy (like smoking or eating junk food) to suppress the stress they are feeling.
What can organizations do to manage workplace stress?
I think that one of the main things that an organization can do to manage stress is to understand what could cause stress in the employees and to things to reduce stress for employees. A local tech company that I have done work with does something that I think is really unique to help their employees feel less stress. This company brings in a massage therapist to give massages to the employees. The company also has a game room and regularly brings in lunches and other perks to makes the people that work there feel like they are valued.
One of the most powerful things that any organization can do to reduce stress in the workforce is to make sure that the workers feel like they are genuinely important and recognize the employees’ efforts. I really believe in positive reinforcement as a management tool.
How can an organization evaluate the impact that stress-prevention and stress management programs have on its performance.
I think that one of the best ways to track this is to keep in touch with the employees by giving the employees a confidential forum to provide honest feedback on how they are doing with their work. I feel like if I am recognized and rewarded for the work that I put into the business I feel a greater sense of pride and I work harder dedicate more to excellence.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
One of the biggest things companies can do to reduce stress is give employees control over how they spend their time. We are all adults in the workplace that can be trusted to do the work and decide what to do and when to do it. We don't need to be controlled between the hours of 8:00 and 5:00 Monday through Friday. What if people were allowed to do whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted, as long as the work got done? Answer: Higher productivity, higher job satisfaction, better business results, and overall happier people. Not bad!
Cali Ressler and Jody Thompson
Creators of the Results-Only Work Environmnet (ROWE)
Authors of the forthcoming book "Why Work Sucks and How to Fix It"
Post a Comment