In today’s world, there is the common misconception that stress and work go hand in hand. While adequate pressure is expected and is an integral part of a job, there comes a point when stress can become detrimental to your health, career, and personal life.
For this week’s blog, Ceek have put together a few tips on how you as a leader can help your team overcome this challenge.
Promote development activities
Workplace wellness has become a top priority. Part of feeling great at work is the feeling that you are developing in your role, as well as personally. When an employee feels they have potential, they feel empowered and it is this empowerment that sustains productivity and a feeling of wellness.
Here a just a few activities that you can consider offering your team:
One-to-one coaching/mentoring
Time to do funded courses
Team building and training exercises
You could even consider taking a coaching/mentoring course yourself or convince your superiors to invest in professional team-building services.
If they do need convincing, help them understand that investing in your employees' personal growth and development is now proven by growing research to increase your bottom line. Always back this up with your current statistics, whether it’s employee turnover, sick leave taken, achievement of results, and so on. As Benjamin Franklin said, ‘An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.’ And creates a less stressful and productive team!
Be open and clear
Most of the time, people are stressed because they are not dealing with situations in the right way or at the right time. Sometimes it’s how they are managing a task, other times it’s because they are unsure of how to go about completing a task, and other times it’s the frustration of the task itself that’s causing the problem.
As a manager, team leader, or supervisor, communication, and clarity are of the utmost importance here. Brief your team with goals that are:
clear
one-at-a-time
prioritized
have doable deadlines
In this way, you will avoid misunderstandings and stress. Add regular meetings to the mix and the reporting of issues sooner rather than later to overcome obstacles quickly, and you will certainly create a better environment – one that stands out for current and future employees. Above all, maintain an open-door policy for a quick chit-chat should the need arise.
Top tip: Create a relaxing space where team members can go to clear their head. Cooler colours like blues and plants have been proved to relieve stress and make people feel more at ease.
Encourage time management and time off
If your team are concerned with deadlines, give them tips on how to work smarter, not harder. It’s not the number of hours people put in, it’s what they produce during those hours that counts. Think ‘How can I help my team to organise their work schedule so they feel great about their potential to produce?’ Whether it’s email tips, using Excel more efficiently, or using time-management techniques/tools, your team will be eternally grateful for your input.
Apart from help with time management, it’s also important to encourage time off. Many employees fear taking sick leave when necessary, don’t end up using all of their days off, and can end up working longer hours than stipulated, but this mentality will only lead to one thing – BURN OUT! It is vital to feel comfortable enough to have the necessary downtime to disconnect from work. We are now experiencing the rise of the compassionate leader, and compassion, according to a study by the University of South Wales, has the greatest connection with productivity. The best thing you can do for your team, in this case, is to show understanding in genuine circumstances, as well as making sure you lead by example by also taking the necessary time out.
Finally, another great thing you can do for your team is allow them time to refocus during work hours. Thomas Oppong writes, ‘A purposeful pause is exactly what you need if you constantly demand more from your brain […] Pausing, noticing, and recognising enables you to see the path that can help you reclaim your productive life.’ When you are constantly working on all cylinders, there is no time to process, refocus, and assess your strategies. Time for recalibration will result in your team feeling refreshed and ready for action.
Being a good leader is tough. Finding the right balance between encouraging people, ensuring they are happy, and their productivity is high is no easy feat. At CEEK, we can help you not just with recruitment, but also with effective team management. Speak to us today!