I read a newspaper article last week that suggested people in the U.K are, on average, stressed out a massive 234 times a year.
For some, it can be as often as twenty times every single week.
There is no doubt that stress at work is a major issue, with even greater pressures over the last few years as the recession hit companies hard and the threat of redundancies loomed.
I often hear suggestions for overcoming stress such as doing more exercise or taking up a hobby.
While this may be advantageous, I have a number of other ideas on how managers might cope with the demands of high performance jobs:
- Try to streamline administrative/bureaucratic processes: You may be surprised how this can reduce stress and accelerate production and productivity.
- Involve middle management: Remember they deal with the day-to-day aspects of your business and are in touch with your employees, so empower them. They are a fresh pair of eyes with new ideas.
- Pace yourself: You cannot do everything on our own- you are not a machine. Set priorities and delegate wherever possible.
- Don’t create a long-hours culture: Working long hours can affect your own health, but do you ever stop to think about the environment this may create? Staff morale and employee productivity will improve if flexible working is supported. Clearly when staff are enthused, it will result in a less stressful environment for management.
- Think carefully about your out-of-hours activity. We are often told to do something different and interesting outside work, but do not get involved in an out-of-hours activity that is only going to add further stress to your life. For instance, it may be that for you a certain type of volunteer work is too demanding.
Here at Gilpin Executive Search, we believe it is more important than ever for organisations to ensure that managers are focused and sharp.
For more information on our Personal Development services, please contact us on: +44 (0) 28 9076 9900.