People afflicted with stress are referred to as "Stressed out," "Strung out," "Burned out," Or as they used to say, a "nervous breakdown."
Any worker in the business climate of mergers, acquisitions, LBOs, and downsizing, knows first-hand that stress has increased in the workplace. Jobs are not as secure as they once were, and most companies are calling on staffs to accomplish more with fewer people. Hours are longer and raises and bonuses are smaller. At the same time, the pressures of daily living seem to have intensified. All of which translates into more stress, on more people.
Levels of employee stress are too intangible to measure accurately, but some attempts have been made. A recent Gallup survey, sponsored by the New York Business Group on Health, asked medical directors and personnel directors to evaluate the extent of the problem. Almost three-quarters of those responding considered stress to be a pervasive problem in the workplace, and they pointed to lost productivity as the major consequence.
Any manager concerned with sustaining employee morale and with motivating and retaining good people must, of necessity, be sensitive to stress levels. Unfortunately, because most managers are under increased stress themselves, they often fail to acknowledge the problems stress causes in their staffs. "Grin and bear it," is how they sum it up. "We're all under stress, so stop complaining."
That's not good enough, nor does it make any sense. If employees are called on to do more with less because of downsizing, but their productivity levels are lower due to stress, less work will get done. If corporate and departmental goals are to be achieved, the negative impact of stress must be addressed by everyone.
Recognize When Stress Becomes Burnout
Burnout is a term more commonly used in the business world than stress, but the terms aren't interchangeable. Stress is a condition we experience every day. Burnout, at least as it is popularly defined, results when stress levels become too high. In other words, there is a cause-and-effect relationship between stress and burnout.
An employee is thought to be burned out when the spark is gone, when there is little motivation to excel or even to perform routine tasks up to previously accepted levels. Caring ceases. Goals become meaningless. challenges are no longer met with enthusiasm. In general, the employee has run out of coping skills.
The medical profession has identified a set of symptoms that herald the onset of employee burnout:
- Excessive fatigue
- Headache
- Gastrointestinal problems
- Sleep disorders
- Lack of motivation
- Pronounced negativity
- Lack of creativity
- High absenteeism
Recognize When Stress is Short-Term Fatigue
No one, including myself, would debate that some employees can become "burned out" after prolonged periods of stressful deadlines and workloads. It's bound to happen. However, at the risk of sounding like one of those callous managers mentioned earlier, I do question the extent of it.
Invariably, when a concept like burnout becomes popular and slips into the language, there will be those who adopt it too quickly, that is, when it is being applied inappropriately. Suffering fatigue after a long, hard project that demanded many extra hours of concentration is normal and natural. Does this truly represent burnout? Has the fire really been extinguished in those men and women who saw the project through to a successful conclusion, or will a good night's sleep or perhaps a long weekend away put things right?
Preventing Extreme Stress
No matter what it's called, undue stress does take its toll on employee productivity, and astute managers will keep their stress-antennas extended to gauge its level.
Some stress is not only normal, it's beneficial. It keeps us sharp and focused. Absence of at least some stress can cause us to become lethargic and to lose motivation.
When stress impacts negatively on productivity, it's time to take action. Some companies spend millions on wellness programs, including in-house counseling. Others team up with local gyms and offer employees discounted membership rates, or conduct on-site exercise classes during the workday. This is all to the good.
Even in such forward-looking companies, managers can go even further in helping combat stress and boost productivity. A workout in a gym might benefit some individuals, but not everyone. Other ideas include the following:
- Provide a few helping hands when the workload is overwhelming.
- Acknowledge the stress an employee is experiencing, and praise that person (often) for doing such a good job under difficult circumstances.
- Know when a long, leisurely lunch is due to break the tension, or an extra day or few hours off.
- Be sensitive to family pressures. An employee under stress often carries it home to the family. Long hours away from home create additional pressure. Drop the family a personal note acknowledging the strain everyone has been under, and thank family members for being understanding and supportive.
- Pitch in. Tough projects are resented less when the boss rolls up the sleeves and lends a hand.
- Always encourage a sense of humor. Nothing takes the edge off a difficult task better than a few hearty laughs.
We've all experienced it: Faced with multiple projects and without a clear sense of what is to be accomplished, and in what order, the amount appears to be overwhelming. We work at one project, do a little on another, start a third. None is completed. It is still overwhelming.
Good managers will recognize when this stage has been reached and will call in the employee to discuss breaking down an overwhelming task into individual components. Such a meeting is an excellent opportunity to include the employee in planning as well, and is a way to communicate the value and esteem in which a supervisor holds his or her people. Ask employees the following questions:
- What do you think should take priority?
- Will completing one job make working on the next one easier?
- What problems need to be solved?
- What are the roadblocks to timely completion?
- What additional support is needed?
