| 1. |
Educate
decision makers about the price they
and their workers
pay - This is the most important step.
Unless decision makers are cognizant of
how stress affects their employees and
their bottom line, the following suggestions
will not be acted upon. Some of the ideas
listed below are not new or original, but
aren't implemented because proponents haven't
presented a compelling "Why." Step
Number One is: Learn the "Why" and
communicate it. |
| |
| 2. |
Give workers
as much control over their jobs and work
life as possible - Two decades
of research in the laboratory and in the
field has shown that control is the most
important factor in whether a person (or
even a laboratory rat) is traumatized by
a high stress situation. Even under stressful
conditions, if people have a sense of control,
they are much less likely to be negatively
affected. Studies show that even seemingly
inconsequential opportunities for control
- like when a worker can have lunch, significantly
reduces stress-related problems. |
| |
| 3. |
Help management
deal with their need for control - As every Organizational Development
professional knows from painful experience,
getting many managers to stop using a command
and control style is difficult. However,
organizations can't afford the price tag
of this behavior. Help the organization
directly link supervisor rewards and compensation
to empowering practices. |
| |
| 4. |
Help the organization
develop clear, open communication; especially
during times
of significant change - The less uncertain
people are about stressful events, the
less stressed out they will be. Uncertainty
and unpredictability are two of the most
important determinants of whether radical
change will traumatize people. |
| |
| 5. |
Help management
learn how to deal with discussing difficult
subjects - Most people
do not like to be the "bearer of bad
news". Managers, feeling uncomfortable
with telling workers about unpleasant workplace
developments, are often reluctant to bring
up such topics. This results in workers
feeling a greater sense of unpredictability
and uncertainty. Make it easier on managers
to be open. |
| |
| 6. |
Help management
develop clear connections between cause
and effect - When cause and
effect are clearly delineated, employees
experience a sense of control. They know
what they can expect. This sense of control
and predictability leads to reduced stress. |
| |
| 7. |
Encourage the
organization to invest in employee self-efficacy - Because a person's
self-efficacy plays such a significant
role in whether a stressor is traumatic
or merely a challenge; improving employee
self-efficacy pays big dividends. Training
and personal development programs which
impacts on a person's self-image, self-esteem,
and self-efficacy will help minimize the
odds that employees will feel overwhelmed
and impotent in the face of challenges. |
| |
| 8. |
Encourage the
organization to invest in employee resiliency
training - Besides
general self-efficacy training; aerobic
exercise, adventure based learning, and
other challenging forms of mental and physical
exercise provide the framework for developing
emotional and physical resiliency, a core
personal attribute which minimizes the
effects of trauma. |
| |
| 9. |
Help workers
expand their employment options - This may sound heretical, but
the more confident employees are about
their career options and marketability,
the less time and energy will be diverted
to worrying about their future. If they
feel confident of their marketability,
they can focus their attention on doing
a good job, not on what they will do if
they lose their job. |
| |
| 10. |
Teach interpersonal
skills to both management and front line
workers - With our interpersonally
more demanding workplace, communication
skill training is not a luxury. Nor is
it just for managers. Besides producing
more effective interactions, excellent
interpersonal skills minimize the chance
that emotionally distressed people will
interact counterproductively with their
co-workers. Since much of the stress in
the workplace is interpersonally generated,
helping people improve in this area will
reduce a significant source of emotional
wear and tear. |
| |
| 11. |
Help employees
develop an emotional support system - Research shows that having a strong
emotional support system reduces the negative
physical and emotional impact of stressors.
At the organizational level, this means
creating a climate where it is acceptable
to not always "have it together",
be in control, know the answer, etc. Policies
which reduce career/family conflicts also
address this issue by minimizing the potential
of home problems exacerbating work problems.
Organizational Development and Human Resource
professionals can help individuals recognize
the importance of a support system and
develop the interpersonal skills necessary
to create and maintain one. |
| |
| 12. |
Encourage the
organization to invest in change management
training for all employees - Since the rapid rate of change is rated
as the top stressor for people, helping
people at all levels deal with change will
minimize the stress level throughout the
organization. |
