Stress causes significant work productivity issues and ultimately affects the performance of a work group. As a manager, you can make a difference!
1. Show that you take stress management seriously. Left ignored, stress can have debilitating effects on the health, welfare, and productivity of employees.
2. Remind employees to practice good stress management including physical exercise and good nutrition. Remember: what you do to manage your own stress sends a strong message to employees.
3. Practice good time management to reduce chaos in work. Demonstrating your own skills in this area by getting organized, prioritizing projects and tasks, eliminating clutter, and keeping a daily to-do list.
4. During times of change, make sure people understand the changes that are taking place and the new requirements of their job. “Big picture” knowledge may help them see where the changes fit in. Define roles and empower decision-making.
5. Stress at work often results from poor communication, lack of feedback, and comments that make one feel undervalued. If you are unsure whether you are causing unneeded stress, find ways to solicit feedback from your employees either directly or indirectly.
6. Tell employees about the Employee Assistance Program. The EAP is strictly confidential and can help employees resolve a host of personal issues. There is a lot that you will never know about the stress of your employees.
How are you dealing with your stress? The EAP is there for managers too!
