Avoid these common managerial mistakes that affect your team’s stress tolerance

Stress is defined as the adverse reaction people experience when exposed to certain pressures, This common reaction produces feelings of depression or anxiety, and is it the leading cause of long-term absence in non-manual workers.  According to recent studies, each case of stress, anxiety or depression among employees leads to an average of 30.2 working days lost a year.

Employing effective management skills are the key to preventing, identifying and handling occupational stress, all of which have great bearing on employee productivity.

There are many common managerial practices that create stressed out employees.

The three most common were:

1. Negative behavior in the workplace 

The manager sets the tone for workplace behavior.

• Disrespect from managers to employees causes stress and discomfort among employees, which in turn affects productivity and attendance.
• Inconsistency in mood and follow-through
• Losing control of their emotions

2. Allowing hazardous conditions for employees

Managers should avoid the following to prevent the accumulation of stress.

• Unfair and unbalanced workloads
• Short-term demands with unrealistic deadlines/expectations
• Ignoring conflicts/arguments within the team
• Ignoring harassment/bullying

3. Lack of direction/training/planning 

Adequate preparation is key for employee security and satisfaction.

• Insufficient training or knowledge transfer is a great “stressor”
• Unclear job performance expectations (lack of direction)
• Lack of communication – detrimental to achieving goals

What to watch out for

Some employees might need guidance/assistance with time management, or further clarification of what is expected of them.  Others might need support from colleagues.  Whatever the situation, managers and HR professionals should be ready and willing to identify and tend to these concerns.  Seminars or trainings could be beneficial on a managerial level to address issues such as:

• Manager self-awareness
• Communication or delegation skills
• Identification of key development areas

Healthy employees are typically more productive; therefore fostering and nurturing a work environment that promotes employee well being will be mutually beneficial.

Want to learn how to effectively manage stress in the workplace? Download this free guide!