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Sources Of Stress That Could Be Eroding Your Team

Stress is a killer, literally and figuratively. It has serious health implications for those individuals dealing with excessive levels of stress, and it can also sink your company like a stone if it is left to go unchecked. High levels of stress cause high levels of absenteeism, lower productivity, employee churn, and leaves you liable to legal risk if it’s found you and your workplace are creating an unhealthy environment. So, here, we’re going to look at some of the most common causes of workplace stress and what approaches you could take to combat it.

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Poor communication

Work stress is often caused by the work itself, or the problems that can get in the way of the work that your team wants to do. Amongst the most common barriers to productivity is that of poor communication. If people have trouble getting access to resources they need, collaborating, or addressing issues that could be in the way of their work, it can feel like being stuck on a hamster wheel: working hard but getting nowhere fast. Finding other paths to open up workplace communication, such as implementing the right software and making it clear who your team members report to when they need help, can move those roadblocks out of the way.

Unrealistic demands

It happens all the time but being levied with unrealistic demands or goals as an individual or a team isn’t always, or even often, the result of a cruel boss. Since managers and employers often work a layer apart from team members, it’s easy to overestimate their productivity or their ability to achieve certain goals. Project management software can make it easier to break tasks up, to put them on timelines and workflow charts to see how truly achievable goals are. Taking the SMART approach to setting goals can help you ensure that you’re not asking too much of your team, as well. Some challenges are simply too tough to overcome through sheer productivity alone.

Overtime overreliance

When a deadline is approaching and you need to reach the goal by any means necessary, some crunch might be expected. Most of your team will be understanding of that. However, if it feels like they’re constantly in crunch and you’re always asking for overtime, it’s dangerous for the whole business. A person’s productivity suffers the longer they have to work beyond their limit, and you might end up getting less done than if you stuck to regular working hours. What’s more, it’s important to be aware of the culture of coercion that frequent overtime requests create. We can’t be ignorant of the very real fear that employees have of being penalized if they don’t submit to overtime requests whenever they are made.

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Harassment

The above issues focus on the parts of workplace culture that you set the rules for, directly. However, other colleagues can be just as severe a sign of stress. In particular, harassment, bullying, and discrimination are all serious issues. The best way to combat it is to take a zero-tolerance policy. Educate your employees about the different forms of harassment, make it clear that it’s an offense that can and will lead to termination, and make the pathways for reporting harassment clear and accessible for all. Harassment thrives in a workplace culture where certain individuals believe they have the impunity to treat others with blatant disrespect or hostility. As a leader, you have to have the strength of will to take allegations of harassment seriously and to punish it severely when it happens, even if the culprit is someone you have an excellent working relationship with or is someone that has achieved great results for the business. Otherwise, you risk creating a culture where that behavior is permitted.

Substance abuse

A growing problem is the abuse of alcohol and drugs on our society, taking its toll not just on the personal lives of those affected, but the environments they operate in, as well. Not only does their productivity and standards of work suffer, but they can be prone to erratic or even dangerous behavior as a result of addiction. Empathy with those suffering from substance abuse is important, but it’s your number one priority to protect your workforce. Employing a drug test can help you identify the potential issues lurking your business. How you deal with those who break your rules on substance use is at your discretion, but removing the stressor from the workplace should be the first step.

Ethical issues

From theft to sharing privileged information, to treating their duties with blatant disregard, there are those who will behave unethically or even criminally in the workplace. Others who are witnesses or told about this can carry the stress and guilt themselves, even if the culprit does not. As such, creating a means to report wrongdoing in confidence is important. Your team should have lines of communication to share information that they might be otherwise afraid to say in public before the rest of the team.

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Job anxiety

If an employee does not feel like they are being invested in or welcomed into the team, then it’s easy for them to feel expendable and to suffer the job anxiety that comes with those feelings. It’s your role to create an inclusive, growing environment that can help combat that agency. Investing in your employees is the obvious route. Providing pathways for internal promotion, offering training sessions, and creating mentorship programs can all help them believe they have a future on the team. Taking the time for team-building exercises, rewarding good work, and giving them the means to share their own thoughts can also help them feel like part of the group, as well.

Just as important as identifying the causes of stress that you can help control is offering support and safety to those experiencing stress. Taking steps to make a healthier, happier workplace and being open to mental health issues in the workplace can make a tremendous difference in the attitude and results you see from your team.

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