So now that you’re able to recognize some of the signs of stress at work it’s time to figure out how you’re going to reduce that stress. Over the next couple of days we’re going to take a look at two areas of your job you need to consider: time management and task management.

We’ve covered time management before but haven’t really focused on how poor time management contributes to stress. If you are feeling overly stressed you should consider making some changes to the way you operate daily:

• Try to leave for work a few minutes earlier each day. Not worrying about being stuck in traffic or feeling rushed when you arrive at work will make a huge difference in your mental attitude.
• Make sure your schedule is balanced and realistic. Write out your daily tasks, prioritize them, and move the ones that aren’t absolutely necessary.
• Make sure your schedule includes regular breaks. There’s no reason on earth for you to skip your lunch break and you should definitely take at least a 5-10 minute break each morning and afternoon to clear your head.
• Learn to say no. It’s difficult, but the inability to say no is usually what causes us to become overbooked, overworked, tired, irritable, and completely overwhelmed. Determine what you MUST do and what you SHOULD do. Learn the difference, and stick to the “musts.”

Taking the way you handle your schedule into consideration should have a huge impact on the level of stress you feel each day. Proper time management was designed to help people avoid stress. Take advantage of your planning skills and use them to simplify your life.

Thanks again,

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training Courses

Click below for a:
FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”

Today’s economy is rough, for sure. Sadly, it’s not only taking a financial toll on many people but an emotional toll at well. Stress of any kind can make it difficult to function at work and, even worse, if the stress is related to work itself the individual’s job performance is even more likely to suffer. Today people are worried about whether or not they’ll be laid off; about how much overtime they’ll have to work to compensate for others being laid off; about how much harder they’ll have to work to keep you happy; and about how long they’ll have to keep up this new pace.

As a manager it is important for you to always keep a careful eye on your employees but especially during difficult times. If you begin to see signs of excessive stress (over the top or beyond what you usually expect from an individual), it may be time to take action.

Watch for the signs of stress not only in your employees but in yourself as well. Some of the signs that the stress in your workplace has become a bit excessive include:

• Irritability
• Depression
• Anxiousness
• An apathetic attitude
• Difficulty sleeping
• Problems concentrating
• General fatigue
• Stomach or digestive issues
• Muscle tension
• Frequent and persistent headaches

There are, of course, other symptoms that the stress in your office has become a bit unmanageable, but these are a few to keep in mind. Make sure you take action as quickly as possible if you begin to notice these symptoms in yourself or any of your employees. The faster you take action to adjust the workload the better your chances of holding on to your good employees, even during rough times.

Thanks again,

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Course

Click below for a:
FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”

The holidays can be a very stressful time for a lot of people. So much so, in fact, the symptoms of stress for some can easily spiral into moderate to severe depression. There’s something about the season, the shopping, and the pressure that makes dealing with the holidays a little less than pleasant.

Even our best and nicest clients tend to become more demanding during the holiday season, as they make their best attempts to cram as much last minute work as possible before the New Year. Your job as a manager is to remain aware of these changes and do what you can to make the holiday season as palatable as possible as your employees struggle to juggle their growing and changing work and personal obligations each day.

So what are some of the things we can do to help?

• Lighten up on the personal business rules. Allowing your employees an hour or two to shop online might help alleviate a bit of stress. You should, of course, make sure the exception for the holiday season is not abused, but your employees are probably going to attempt shopping during work hours anyway, so why not let them know it’s ok at certain times of the day?

• Flex those work schedules. With the holiday season comes a myriad of school functions, family gatherings, and work parties. Each of these involves a significant amount of prep and travel time, and trying to figure out how to get to each place on time can be a hassle. Allow employees to flex their schedules a little bit during the holiday season, if necessary. You don’t have to give away extra hours, but allowing someone to come in early or work through lunch so that he can leave early won’t hurt production.

• Review your dress code. Do you really need to be in business professional or business casual dress every day during the holiday season? Could you add a couple of less formal days to the schedule? Your employees will feel more comfortable, less stressed, and possibly end up being a bit more productive than usual.

The holiday season lasts from Thanksgiving straight through New Year’s Day, so you still have time to make some exceptions, especially if you’ll have a few employees working in the office over the next week while the rest of the office is on holiday.

Remember, happy employees are productive and loyal employees. Learn how to manage stress, not only for yourself, but for your employees as well, and you’ll be pleased with the results.

Enjoy your holidays!

Thanks again,

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training

Click below for a:
FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”

One of the best things you can do as a manager is to help moderate the level of stress your employees experience on a daily basis. Some of your employees or team members will handle stress better than others, but it’s important for you to be able to identify the signs of stress and take action before it gets out of control. In order to do this it’s essential that you understand what situations within the workplace might cause stress. Here are a few to consider:

Excessive Workloads

Everyone experiences periods of time that are busier than others but you have to make sure that an excessive workload is not the norm. Are your team members constantly faced with high workloads and impossible deadlines? If so, they’ll feel overwhelmed and rushed and they’ll be more likely to make mistakes. Have you noticed a trend like this within your department? You may need to determine whether or not it’s possible to reshuffle the workload within your team structure, figure out whether or not you need to request additional staff, or simply approach upper management about the amount of work you are receiving.

Insufficient Training

There’s nothing worse than being asked to work on a special project only to find that the main project entails work skills you have no experience with. If you have an employee who works in the widget department 5 days a week, you can not expect him to perform well if you suddenly throw him in the wocket department for a few days instead. That employee will constantly worry that his lack of experience or training will contribute to poor job performance. Fear of poor job performance will lead to stress, which in turn will make the employee dread coming to work each day. Make sure that your employees are qualified for each and every project you assign. If not, make sure you clearly express that you realize there is a lack of training and that the new project will be a closely monitored educational experience.

Weak Management

Face it – as a manger you have a huge impact on the level of stress your employees feel while at work. An uninformed employee will feel a sense of uncertainty which will in turn contribute to a level of stress that makes it difficult to function within the workplace. Make sure you are constantly communicating business changes, project guidelines, and any other important information as soon as possible. Don’t leave your employees in the dark.

There are plenty of other factors that can contribute to stress in the workplace. We’ll go over these and some of the ways to deal with stress in future posts. Until then, take a look at your team members and determine whether or not any of them may be feeling undue stress. Is there anything you can do about it?

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training

Click below for a:
FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”

Stress is a normal part of everyday life. We all feel stress at some level, whether we’ve simply gotten out of bed a little bit later than we should have or have a pressing deadline in the office. It helps to understand that there are two very different types of stress: eustress and distress.

What is Eustress?

Eustress is a very positive type of stress. For example, you may feel a little nervous yet elated about your upcoming wedding, a newborn baby, or a brand new job. The stimulation you are experiencing causes your adrenaline to begin flowing, but more often than not positive stress is pretty easy to deal with. It’s a sensation that most people welcome.

Understanding Distress

Distress, or negative stress, obviously isn’t as welcome. Perhaps knowing you’re going to start a new job isn’t as exciting as you thought. Instead you spend your nights wondering if you’re good enough, if you’re going to be late on your first day, or if you’re going to make a fool out of yourself during your first meeting. This type of stress may make you want to run away from the situation and may even cause physical reactions such as fatigue, dizziness, and anxiety.

Stress is stress, regardless of which type you’re experiencing. In the end, however, stress is a result of the way you choose to react to a situation. While it may seem uncontrollable, you certainly have the tools to maintain a healthy mindset throughout any challenge, just as you have the ability to use anger management techniques when you feel upset.

Over the coming weeks we’ll take a closer look at stress and some of the things you can do to control and manage it. Until then, have a relaxing weekend!

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training

Click below for a:
FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”