Reducing Stress Before It Becomes Burnout
Over 50% of Americans report feeling daily stress at work. When you’re creating new products or services and making continual progress, some stress is inevitable and expected. But what happens when stress builds to unsustainable levels? Performance drops. Burnout soars. People quit.
Stress wreaks havoc in our lives. It robs us of joy and fulfillment, making each day another uphill battle. In a high-stress work environment, great achievements are overshadowed. There’s little time or energy to celebrate the wins. Before long, your team will start to wonder why they’re dedicating so much of their lives to a job that makes them miserable. And they’d be right to ponder this. Life is too short for constant stress and exhaustion.
If your team is feeling stressed, don’t dismiss them. Instead, put your leadership skills to good use.
Common Stressors and How to Combat Them
As a leader, you can’t completely eliminate stress for your teams, but you do have the power to contain and reduce it. Your first step is identifying the most common causes of workplace stress — and taking action against those sources.
Heavy Workload vs. Reasonable Expectations
A 2019 study by CIPD revealed that workload is the leading cause of workplace stress (page 14). When a team member has too much on their plate, their drive and abilities can only go so far. And with the ongoing “great resignation,” many employees are now taking on the load for multiple roles — often without extra support or compensation.
Combat this type of stress by setting reasonable expectations for your team’s output and deliverables. Never give one team member a workload meant for multiple people. Deadlines should be discussed and set with adequate time to support the quality of work you desire.
Sometimes there may be a time crunch, and other times it may feel like there’s too much to do and too few people to do it. But the fact is, none of these issues are your employees’ problem. It’s not their job to answer for staffing issues or unreasonable client expectations. These are concerns that company leaders need to sort out instead of shifting the burden to their teams.
People aren’t machines. Set reasonable expectations and stick to them.
Lack of Control vs. Trust
Feeling a lack of control over one’s work is another common cause of workplace stress. Most people find great satisfaction in taking ownership of their work. It’s empowering, confidence-boosting, and fulfilling. But when leaders micromanage, make all the decisions, and give their team members very little independence, work becomes a mere chore. Following orders to the letter doesn’t stoke creativity.
The key to eliminating control-related stress is trust — trust your team members to do their jobs, make the right decisions, and take ownership over their results. Trust is a sign of respect — for their abilities, experience, and wisdom.
Trust doesn’t mean your people will never make mistakes. But every mistake is a learning experience that fuels their growth and feeds their expertise. It also doesn’t mean you’re obsolete. Employees who feel empowered and trusted are more likely to come to you for guidance. They’ll know you won’t punish their insecurity by reclaiming control.
Difficult Relationships vs. Collaboration
Relationships are complex and often challenging, even with family, friends, and partners. At work, the tension seems to soar. Difficult interpersonal relationships with peers or managers are one of the top stressors for employees. The problem is, we can’t avoid the people we work with. Even if you work largely in a silo, there are still times when you must coordinate and collaborate with others. Progress hinges on it.
To alleviate relationship stress at work, foster and model a culture of respectful communication and healthy collaboration. This means being vulnerable and honest, and never tolerating disrespect within your team. And, be sure to nip any conflict in the bud before it becomes a huge issue.
When conflict arises, it’s helpful to bring everyone’s focus back to your vision and values. What is your communal purpose, and what ethics guide your actions and decisions? These standards can bring your team together in pursuit of a common goal.
Constant Change vs. Clarity
Change is scary for everyone. Even the most adventurous and energetic people can be thrown off by major changes. Our brains are wired to find comfort in routine, so major disruptions can cause a lot of stress. Will I still know how to do my job? What if I fail? Will my boss replace me? These fears take a significant toll on your team.
Change may be scary, but it’s also inevitable. Modern businesses must be agile and innovative to stay competitive, and that means things change frequently. How can leaders make great strides without causing extra stress for their teams?
The secret is clarity. You see, change is so scary because it causes insecurity. By giving your team clarity on all the details and your expectations, that insecurity is eliminated. Even if some things are still unknown, your team will feel extra confident knowing that you’ve shared everything you can. The rest you’ll figure out together.
Lack of Training vs. Continual Development
Finally, the last common source of workplace stress is a lack of on-the-job training. Just like change, lack of training makes team members insecure and fearful. They aren’t sure how to make progress, but they know everyone is counting on them. Anyone who’s been thrown to the wolves at a new job knows how stressful and humiliating it can be.
Every new hire should receive thorough training on their position as well as company expectations and cultural norms. But, training doesn’t stop there. Career development is a key factor in employee retention. Driven people want opportunities to grow and boost their competencies. It’s stressful to feel like you’re falling behind.
The stress factor at your company will drop drastically when you thoroughly train new hires and continue to offer opportunities for development throughout their tenure at your organization.
Stress Is Not Inherent to Success
High stress is a huge problem in the business world — a common source of burnout and turnover — but many companies have simply accepted it as an inherent aspect of work. Some leaders believe it’s part of the average workday.
I can’t think of a sadder or more unhealthy outlook. Of course, we can never be fully immune to stress. Rough days here and there are a fact of life.
But there is absolutely no reason to let stress run rampant in your company. When you know the common causes — and it’s in your power to alleviate them — why wouldn’t you want to spare your team members? They’re the ones that drive your company forward. Take care of them, and they’ll take care of you.