Increasing demands in my role are causing me a great deal of stress at work. What can I do to reduce this?
Reasons for the escalating levels of stress in UK managers have been well documented. Email overload, organisational change and the speed of communications have all contributed to increasing the pressure on individuals within their job roles. This not only affects how managers perform at work, but can have serious implications for their overall health and general quality of life. In this environment, it is important managers are given the skills to identify and manage sources of stress.
Our research found that stress was most likely to be caused by aspects of an individual’s job. These might include work that is dull or repetitive, having to deal with difficult customers, colleagues or clients, or being too closely monitored by a senior manager. Work-life balance was another potential cause of stress with managers reporting they were spending too much time at work, leaving little time for their personal lives. The third most prevalent stress factor was job overload with individuals claiming that they were being set unrealistic deadlines or feeling swamped by the speed of technology with their organisation.
How individuals respond to stress is very personal to them. While some experience health problems such as headaches or muscular pain, others show anxiety in their behavioural patterns such as nail biting or excessive smoking. Either way, managers should be made aware of the symptoms of stress so they can take the next steps in identifying the source and making changes to combat the problem.
However, while it is important for organisations to put processes in place to minimise stress in the workplace, it is also necessary that managers and organisations recognise the difference between stress and pressure. In today’s environment, there will always be times when the heat is on to deliver results. During these periods, it may be necessary for employees to work long hours or step-up their performance, but this should not result in ill-health.
Organisations can offer training or various internal events to help managers recognise and cope with their symptoms of stress. In the Institute’s research, health initiatives such as access to counselling, stress management advice, work-life balance programmes and flexible working options were found to have a positive impact on managers’ quality of working life. Clear guidelines on whom managers can approach if they are experiencing stress at work are also useful in combating the problem. Obviously it will not be possible to remove the source of stress in every situation – pressures from an important client for example - but there are methods to reduce the level of stress and support individuals in developing coping strategies.
Overall, it is important to promote a corporate culture which encourages honesty. Stress is often ignored as it is seen as a sign of weakness and inability to cope with the daily pressures of work. This is not the case and unless individuals address the matter fully it is likely to impact on their health and productivity at work.
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