It can unfold insidiously and lead to negative health outcomes. It also has the potential to affect two out of five of your employees whilst costing you a share of $480 million in a single year alone: workplace stress.
Far-reaching with massive ramifications, the stress in the workplace is now recognised as a key issue, leading to lower morale, lower productivity, and generally hemorrhaging a feeling of discontent amongst teams. Particularly in industries such as the Medical, Science, and Technical sectors where employees are required to work long hours on high-intensity projects, it can often feel as though there is no escape from the acute demands of work.
To put things into perspective, a 2015 study by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare found that 20% of men and 7% of women worked over 50 hours per week, placing Australians in the bottom quarter out of 35 OECD countries. As a leader in your organisation, not only do you have to keep your own stress levels on an even keel, but you also have to ensure that this silent affliction is kept from having a detrimental impact on your team.
Here are a few ways that you can keep on top of the pressure and stop it from dragging your team into the stress quicksand.
Create a Pleasant Working Environment
The ambience of a workspace has a direct impact on the stress levels of your team. It doesn’t take much to divest an area of clutter, excess noise or unnecessary mess. All of these measures will shape an environment where people will want to come to work. Of course, there will be instances where you won’t be able to change the physical environment due to set standards, such as a lab, however there are certain nuances that can make a difference. Pieces of artwork, family photos or even plants can temper a welcoming atmosphere.
Be Clear Around Your Expectations
Transparency and clarity around your expectations for your employees and their roles are the preamble to less stress in the workplace. Ambiguity in what an employer wants can effectuate a haze of confusion and ultimately tension. Be clear when furnishing tasks, deadlines and job descriptions and always leave the door open to discuss these further should any questions arise.
Allow Flexible Working Arrangements
We all have pressures like the delicate juggle between work and family commitments or that looming deadline that coincides with a fluey 6-year-old. So often the stress emanates from trying to manage the patchwork of life’s responsibilities rather than the work itself. You can vastly improve the productivity and well-being of your team if a more flexible working arrangement could be implemented.
There is often not much difference between 9am-5pm and 8am-4pm or offering an opportunity to work remotely at suitable times. This will be a small sacrifice given the benefits of reduced stress as well as making people feel appreciated, valued and understood. If your teams feel that you are more receptive to their needs, they are more likely to be happier and more committed in their role.
This may not always be a viable option but should be revisited as a policy at some stage as a flexible working arrangement is becoming increasingly important according to On Q’s research on job satisfaction and could go a long way in retaining strong talent.
Communicate Effectively
Open the floodgates of communication along with active listening and you can build a team that stresses less and enjoys their workspace.
Give your employees the chance to share their concerns, needs, and requests without dismissing them. With a modicum of empathy and open discussions, help your team members harness a solution that will mitigate their work stress levels. Keep in mind that your employees may not have the same level of organisational insight that you do and encourage honesty and transparency.
Be proactive in your leadership approach and keep your ear to the ground. Address those with a sense of unrest sensitively. If there is interpersonal conflict, act quickly and decisively. If a solution to the factors causing the stress cannot be doctored by you, a workplace counsellor or employee assistance programme via a confidential phone call or in person can prove to be helpful.
By communicating effectively, you can garner whether morale is high or collapsing. Take steps to lift your team’s spirits if necessary; whether it’s a social event, team building day or a company lunch or something as simple as dropping in on people and ensuring they have everything they need to succeed.
Lead by Example
As the leader of your team you must “walk the talk”! Encourage a healthy lifestyle by adopting a work-life balance along with effectively managing your work times and utilising your lunch breaks and holidays.
This will galvanise your employees to do the same. If you’re burning the candle past 6pm every night on the other hand, people are less likely to feel comfortable leaving at 5pm and may feel like they are expected to work late too. Try to avoid delegating large jobs at the end of the day without a clear timeline and forcing them to work back. None of these outcomes bode well for stress levels so view your own behaviours as the benchmark!
With that in mind, it is imperative to be honest and upfront about any arising difficulties in the workplace. It is inevitable, that there will be stressful periods at work, however, how you navigate through them will make the difference between adding to the stress or controlling it.
Continue to be open and solutions based. Should there be an issue that is out of your hands (for example, pay, role level etc.), then escalate expeditiously and appropriately.
Final Thoughts
We all have work pressures punctuating our lives at different times, but as the leaders of Australia’s Medical, Science, and Technical organisations you can manage them to cultivate positive results. You can impact your team’s workplace stressors with numerous strategies.
It could be as simple as checking in with them personally, changing their environment or leading by example and taking more breaks.
Or it could be carving the tension with open communication and active listening whilst providing real solutions. Whichever avenue you choose, you can reap the benefits of a more engaged, dedicated team who are happy to come to work each and every day.
