Coping with Pressure at Work
Stress Management Techniques for Dealing with Workplace Pressure
Workplace stress is so intense and damaging, employees need the smartest stress management techniques to be effective under pressure.
Pressure at work is on the increase. Business is booming for services that support stressed workers. But what can employees to do manage their own pressures at work? The first step is to put things on paper. When people keep their anxieties in their heads, they get overwhelmed. When they make a list of all the factors that cause them pressure at work, they immediately feel that they are gaining some perspective, if not control.
Common Work Pressures
Once you set aside family pressures and the need for relaxation, workload pressure is the number one source of employee stress. Lack of career progress, low pay, conflict with colleagues or poor workplace relationships can also cause a lot of grief, but workload is a big enough topic on its own.
Everyone has more work to do these days. It is a fact of life brought about by a more competitive global business environment. For employees to keep their jobs, they need to be competitive. That means either offering new products, like Apple Computer does, or working smarter to keep costs down and offer customers great service.
The Number One Stress Management Technique
Employees who know how to manage stress focus on factors within their control. People who struggle to cope with pressure blame others or disempower themselves by focusing on the factors that are outside of their control. They say they have a demanding boss and that is all there is to it. As a result, such employees feel like victims, which only adds to their stress. A good general rule, whenever any obstacle or setback arises, is to ask “What can I do?” The key is to focus on the things you can change and not let yourself be defeated by what is out of your control. One thing people can control is their attitude, not that it is easy. But nothing anyone does forces you to feel stressed unless you choose to let it bother you.
Managing Demanding Bosses
Never tell your boss “I can’t do this. I don’t have time.” Instead, always say something like: “Of all the things you want me to do, what would be most useful right now?” Or, “What is your highest priority?” Or, say something like: “According to the 80-20 rule, 80% of the value I can add for you will be achieved with 20% of the things I do, so which 20% is most likely, in your view, to add the most value for you right now?” Another useful line is: “I always want to do the best possible job for you in the least possible time. Which things are most important to you right now?”
Don’t forget to appreciate the pressure your boss is under. Show a little empathy by saying something like: “I imagine you are under so much pressure, I don’t know how you think straight. Would it help to take 10 minutes to do some prioritizing?” Notice the subtle point here – this statement puts the issue in terms of your boss’s needs not your need to relieve your own stress. This is vital, something you should always do because other people are only interested in their own needs and what you can do for them.
Reframe Your Role
The key step here is to think about your role as one of enabling things to happen instead of as one that entails doing things. Take time to train others in what you can do. Yes, this is time consuming, but it could be a great investment. Whenever you delegate or show someone else how to do some part of your job, you should position this as helping them develop, not as them helping you do your work. Again, focus on the other person’s needs, not your own.
Manage Your Time
The key to managing time is to set aside a bit of time regularly to prioritize, which means asking yourself what things you can get away with letting slide for awhile. Thinking strategically, what internal customers do you most need to satisfy, given that you can’t please everyone? Liaise regularly with your most important customers to be absolutely clear what they really need from you. Don’t make the mistake of giving them a Mercedes when they would be happy with a Volkswagen. In other words, don’t be a perfectionist or try to please everyone equally. This is a recipe for an early grave. Negotiate regularly to obtain more time or help. When you have to do two things for the same person, ask him or her which priority is most important right now. Ask for extra resources if you are asked to deliver more than is reasonable.
Keep Fit
Keeping fit through exercise and good eating is the number one stress reliever. We criticize businesses for focusing too much on the short term, but whenever we eat or drink to relieve pressure we are doing the same thing at the expense of our longer term well being and ability to cope with stress.
