The rapid pace of change and uncertainty in the past few years has brought with it unprecedented levels of stress and anxiety in both professional and personal settings. Leaders know that employees have been operating in crisis mode for years and the impact of that stress can't be ignored any longer. In this episode of The Forward Thinking podcast, host Stephanie Barton, VP of Marketing and Communications at FCCS is joined by Rhonda Scharf, licensed professional speaker and keynote speaker at the upcoming FCCS Learning Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina. Together they discuss effective strategies and skills that every manager needs to know for helping their team handle stress.

Episode Insights Include:

What exactly is stress?

• Stress is the non-specific response of the body to any demand made on it.

• Sometimes stress is a good thing — like in the case of surprise.

• Good stress provides an adrenaline rush that the brain seeks and enjoys.

• At work, stress can lead to overwhelm and impact the quality of work.

Who is responsible for managing stress in the workplace?

• Leaders need to start by being aware of team stress.

• Listening to employee concerns is key to helping to manage stress.

• Leaders are accountable for the success of their team, which includes owning the accountability to help their team through stress.

How can companies help manage employee stress?

• Flexibility in work arrangements to accommodate commutes and family situations can help manage employee stress.

• One-on-ones are an essential part of leadership involvement in stress management.

• Flex hours, training, counseling services, and stress management training can help alleviate stress throughout the company.

• If one employee would benefit from a stress-relieving offering, chances are everyone at the company would benefit from it.

Management tactics for leading a team through stress

• Managers need to offer a listening ear rather than direct stressed employees to HR.

• Managers need to lead by example and give their team a point of reference for an appropriate stress level.

• Offer compassion and empathy to your team when you know stress is present.

• Help teammates set boundaries regarding communications, work hours, and time away from work.

• Identify what you want from your leadership and aim to offer it to your team.

Is it possible to make people happier at work?

• Statistically, people leave jobs because of the people there, not the work itself.

• A safe workplace is created by building up relationships.

• A manager's aim needs to be to help people feel acknowledged, understood, and appreciated.

• Managers can listen to, talk with, and support their stressed-out employees to help them feel more valued.

• Managers can create an environment where employees can make friends with each other.

Reducing work-related factors that create undue stress

• High expectations for others can create an unnecessary perfectionist environment.

• The manager's example of busyness and expectations demonstrate the standards you are holding others to, whether intentionally or not.

• Managers need to consider what a workload looks like from the perspective of those who are expected to complete it.

• Ask your team for their ideas of ways to prioritize a healthy work environment.

This podcast is powered by FCCS.

Resources

Learn more about the upcoming FCCS Learning Conference - https://www.fccsconsulting.com/conferences/learning-conference

Connect with Rhonda Scharf - https://on-the-right-track.com/about-us/about-rhonda/

Get in touch

[email protected]