Leaders developing leaders.

Stress

Stressful Times?

When we’re not in control and are unsure of what tomorrow brings, we can be left feeling anxious and stressed.

We sure aren’t in control of the impacts or duration of COVID-19, and we really don’t know what we’ll be facing tomorrow, but what we can do is assess and address if we are feeling anxious or stressed.

Maureen Killoran sums it up nicely: Stress is not what happens to us. It’s our response TO what happens. And RESPONSE is something we can choose.

First, start by paying attention. Last week we mentioned observing restlessness, lack of focus, missed deadlines, and crankiness in others.  We must also self-assess.

Do we feel irritable? Exhausted? Have a shorter “fuse” than normal? What about a stiff neck, headaches, or a backache?

We get so busy that we often neglect ourselves; regardless how busy we are, we need to schedule “self-time” on a daily basis, even if for only 10 minutes.

We need to think and live “healthily”.  Comfort foods may seem like a good idea, but if carbs are involved, which they often are, work on limiting the “goodie” intake; the extra carbs can add to fatigue and make you feel guilty. And just a reminder that “stressed” spelled backwards is “desserts”!

If you lead or are a part of a team:

-Schedule 15 minutes out of a team meeting to have every team member write a positive one word descriptor of each teammate.  It’s a feel good exercise, reduces stress and builds harmony.  Each person can submit their words to a designated person, and that person can then share the results. Simple and uplifting.

-Have each person play/share a favorite song and explain why.

-Have a “virtual” luncheon where recipes can be shared; have a contest for the most unique dish.

-Each team member visually shares something important to them  ex. A child, a “furbaby”, a book, an heirloom, etc

It’s up to us to address and minimize stress and build camaraderie.  Let us know what works for you!

There cannot be a stressful crisis next week. My schedule is already full.
–Henry Kissinger

Reset Your Mindset

With a fixed mindset, you believe you are who you are and you cannot change. This creates problems when you’re challenged because anything that appears to be more than you can handle is bound to make you feel hopeless and overwhelmed.–Travis Bradberry

We continue to live and lead in uncertain times, and often hear discussions about what the “new normal” will be. A great question but one with no clear answer.

Given the high levels of uncertainty, a “mindset reset” may be in order. Many of us are suffering from decreased energy levels, and quite honestly are floundering.

So as leaders, what can we do?  Start by increasing your level of communication with your teams by asking and listening.

How are they feeling? Do they seem restless? Have they lost focus? Are they missing deadlines? What about their tone of voice (stressed or irritable?).

Leadership professional Ban Weston provides 10 tips that may help:

1.    Acknowledge and accept changing times.
2.    Face your fears; writing them down can help you move forward.
3.    Confront your feelings and seek support; reach out to close colleagues or loved ones and talk to them about what you are feeling.
4.    Stop the fearful thoughts and replace them with something positive. Turn negative thoughts into something positive. Ex.How have you helped others cope? List the positives for being home. Ex. More family time
5.    Be flexible and embracing of change; approach change with an open attitude of learning.  What are the positives as a result of the change? Ex. Saved commute time and lower gas bills
6.    Be part of the change. See change as an opportunity for growth; use your extra time for self-development.
7.    Communication, communication and more communication. The unknown can be scary. Provide meaningful information and address rumors or incorrect assumptions. Will there be pay cuts? Furloughs? Loss of business? Longer work hours?
8.    Reduce Stress and anxiety. Focus on what makes you feel strong and fit so you can continue to make good and rational decisions. Ex. Exercise, music, movies, etc
9.    Have a sense of meaning. Where and how are you adding value? What goals have you achieved? Have you helped others adjust and grow their skill-set?
10. Continue to do your work and see the big picture. Focus on achieving your designated goals; maintain a positive attitude and know better times are ahead.

We also encourage regular video conferencing. Let colleagues see one another and share their ups and downs.

Don’t be the leader where team members share that they were never asked about their perceptions, opinions, or feelings! Rather, be recognized for helping reset mindsets.

Stay safe!

You’re in charge of your mind. You can help it grow by using it in the right way.–Carol Dweck

Stressed?

Stress is an important dragon to slay – or at least tame – in your life.
–Marilu Henner

How’s your stress level at work? Would you say it’s occasional or fairly consistent?

The first step in handling stress is to be aware of it.  Without awareness, stress is in control of you and not the other way around.

Do a simple assessment of the components below, rating your stress level for each as “Low”, “medium”, or “high”.

Job role/characteristics
Too demanding
Not what I thought it was going to be
Work Benefits/compensation
Difficult to get a promotion
Low compensation
Work Schedule
No flexibility
Creates conflict
Work Relationships
None
Conflict ridden
Boss Relationship
Not valued/skills not utilized
Minimal direction / recognition

How many did you rate “high”? We suggest addressing those first. Balance is the key to managing stress; consider what you can do differently to lower your stress levels.

Are you trying too hard? We often have a self-imposed need to compete that adds to our stress. We also don’t take time for the 3 R’s:  Re-charge, re-energize, and relax!

Build in time each day for things you enjoy. (Music, exercise, reading, family time). While at work, stand, stretch, take a walk, and don’t procrastinate! Putting off tasks will only add to your stress.

THIS WEEK’S QWIKTIP!

Click here to read how to STAY COOL

5 Types Of Change

There is no getting around change. It happens every day in every type of organization.—Britt Andreatta, Ph.D, author

Change in the workplace. It’s inevitable, so as leaders, what are we doing to reduce the failure rate? Studies show that 50 – 75% of change results in failure, either initially (it is never successfully launched), or that it does not sustain itself due to lack of buy-in across the organization.

Dr. Britt Andreatti, writes about how our brains must be harnessed to help us drive and thrive through change, and has identified 5 types of change in the workplace.

5 Types Of Change – excerpts from WIRED TO RESIST by Britt Andreatta 

  1. Strategic – how the organization will fulfill its mission
  2. Structural – the organization’s internal set-up
  3. Process – how the organization maximizes productivity and workflow
  4. Talent – maximizing employee skill and performance
  5. Cultural – shifting attitudes, values, and behaviors

It’s probably no surprise that the ability to change the mind-set of our people is the most difficult. If we don’t get them on-board, and if they do not support the new vision and core values (or perhaps don’t understand or know HOW to support it), success is unlikely.

Dr. Andreatta feels there are 4 key factors that influence success rates: Disruption, Acclimation, Choice, Desire  

As leaders we need to assess the amount of disruption and the time required for acclimation. We can label them as:

ORANGE – A lot of effort but over quickly

GREEN – Little effort and over quickly

YELLOW – Little effort over a long period

RED – A lot of effort over a long period

Take time to review the level of disruption for each change as that will help with realistic time expectations for acceptance. Equally important is assessing if the change was a choice or a mandate, and whether it was viewed as desirable.

Dr. Andreatta states that humans are “biologically wired to resist change”, and as leaders we MUST acknowledge and manage the emotions of the change curve (shock, denial, anger and fear) before we can expect acceptance and commitment.

As leaders, our challenge it to erase the equation that CHANGE=DANGER.  Are you prepared?

QWIKTIPS –

Click to read about GROWTH, CHANGE, STRESS

Leadership is unlocking people’s potential to become better. Bill Bradley

Does Work Stress You Out?

If you get stressed in your work environment, you’re not alone. According to an American Institute of Stress (NY) study, job pressure is the number one cause of stress.

Does Work Stress You Out?

Adopting the right attitude can convert a negative stress into a positive one.
–Hans Selye

Strategies, technology, budgets, skill-sets, customers, partnerships, and shareholders are constantly evolving. As leaders, we need to take the time to pay attention to how we’re being impacted by the added pressures, and we need to pay attention to what’s happening to those we work with. What’s the pulse in your workplace?
How’s productivity? Absenteeism? Attitudes? Collaboration? Communication?

The statistics for how stress impacts individuals (and organizations) are staggering:

  • 48% – Are negatively impacted in their personal and professional life
  • 31% – Have difficulty managing work and family responsibilities
  • 30% – Are “always” or “often” under stress at work
  • $300 billion is the annual cost to employers in stress related health care and missed work

Here are some top contributors to work stress:

  1. Fear of being laid off
  2. Unrealistic deadlines
  3. Excessive work hours due to reduced staff
  4. Lack of collaboration
  5. Emphasis to “do more with less”
  6. Reduced recognition for a job well done (what is “above and beyond”?)
  7. Work just isn’t fun anymore
  8. Constant pressure to always deliver “at your peak” (the result is burn out)

Tips to help leaders manage stress:

  • Take the time to build relationships and learn what your team is doing at work as well as personally
  • Ensure everyone has clearly defined roles and understands priorities
  • Call out non-productive behaviors ex. Rumors, attitudes, lack of focus, reduced productivity, etc
  • Immediately address conflict / differences
  • Share what you know as soon as you can; consistent communication is key
  • Promote laughter and use humor to defuse stress

Are you doing all you can to minimize stress in your workplace? Hear what Mike and Marilyn say about the Leadership Journey.

Annoucements

Leadership Journey I

  • Session 1 – in Phoenix – kicks off May 12 – LAST CALL!
  • Session 1 – virtual – kicks off September 14 (Our June program is full)

Journey II – Moving Beyond The Barriers

  • Session 1 – in Phoenix – kicks off May 12 – still a few open spots!

Enroll Today

Tell Us – How Does Your Workplace Compare?

We want to invite you to take a short survey that looks at some important aspects of your workplace. We are gathering responses from Journey graduates and others so that we may paint a better picture of the workplace today. Here at PeopleTek we are interested in using the data to improve our curriculum and our collective workplace performance!

Please join us in this research. We will provide you with your own individual feedback, which you can use as you continue your individual leadership journey.

Take the Survey

Growth, Change, Stress

Growth and change are continuous, and if we don’t manage it wisely, stress gets thrown into the equation.

What got you to where you are today will more than likely not take you to your desired next level of achievement. Why? Things change.

Strategies, technology, budgets, skill-sets, customers, partnerships, and shareholders are not constant and it’s not always easy to keep up; sometimes it even feels next to impossible.

Stress is the physical and psychological effects we experience as a result of the way we react to changes in the surrounding environment.
–Pavel Stoyanov

As our environment (and the world) continues to change swiftly, we are all challenged to continuously “evolve” and grow.

As leaders we need to take time and pay attention to what’s happening to us, and we also need to pay attention to those we work with. What’s the pulse in your workplace? How’s productivity? Absenteeism? Collaboration levels? Attitudes? Communication?

Physical and emotional health suffer when change is not managed. Stress also becomes unhealthy instead of energizing and motivating.

A Few Top Stress Contributers

  • Fear of being laid off
  • Unrealistic deadlines
  • Excessive work hours due to reduced staff
  • Emphasis to “do more with less”
  • Reduced recognition for a job well done (what is “above and beyond”?)
  • Work just isn’t fun anymore
  • Constant pressure to always deliver “at your peak” (the result is burn out)

Reports say that the workforce is experiencing increased levels of stress, anxiety, and depression, and that employers are spending 15% more than last year per employee for wellness programs.  And, many wellness programs are now including gym memberships, massages, nutrition counseling, meditation courses, and even bonuses for exercising.

People wear out; we all have thresholds. The idea is to recognize and address needs before health and productivity suffer.

Take care of your own needs and be cognizant of and address the needs of those around you. This will position your workplace to better manage work stress without becoming overwhelmed.  You may even experience increased levels of energy, and bring back an element of “fun”!

When’s the last time you made work fun?

Calm, Cool, and Collect

How do stressful situations impact you? If you’re under fire at work, do others “feel” it and avoid interactions with you?

Self control is important. The ability to manage our feelings instead of allowing our feelings to manage us is beneficial for everyone, especially so for leaders.

Having the ability to feel and then respond with purpose, while remaining composed, is what we strive for daily and during difficult situations. If a person lets us down and we are angry, we need to have the skill to respond appropriately rather than blowing up or raising our voice.

Leadership is a matter of having people look at you and gain confidence, seeing how you react. If you’re in control, they’re in control.
–Tom Landry

We suggest becoming very aware of our emotions, and what triggers them, so we are better positioned to remain in control. This means becoming familiar with an entire spectrum of feelings including happiness, anger, sadness, loneliness, rejection, pride, shame, peace, etc.

And it means knowing how to diffuse the emotions that will not serve us well.

The more control and awareness we have, the better the leader we can be, now, and in the future. An example may be when someone did something we didn’t expect and we overreacted. Some of us may even yell or scream at our antagonist, which more likely than not puts us in disfavor with those that witnessed it.

Once composure is “lost,” the damage is done and may not be recovered from (even when composure is restored). We all have hot buttons and we all know individuals that seem to have a “gift” to light those buttons up. To excel in leadership we need to be in control of our emotions at all times. (It’s certainly easier when times are calm and steady but may challenge us in difficult and turbulent/crisis situations).

Common Circumstances That Lend Themselves to Control Issues

  • Surprises
  • Unexpected change
  • Incorrect/incomplete information
  • Missed deliverables
  • Insubordination
  • Deadlines, date changes
  • Lack of commitment, buy-in or urgency
  • Lack of team effort or no accountability

We first must understand our feelings and the response, (perhaps an unhealthy one), that desperately wants out. Instead, we can calmly think about a response that would help us deal with the problem at hand. This may require postponing a response which is fine (rarely do we HAVE to have an immediate response).

It can be challenging to remain cool, calm, and collect, but as a Chinese proverb says: Forego your anger for a moment and save yourself a hundred days of trouble.

It takes effort, but it’s worth it! What do you do to maintain your composure?

Here’s a Wealth of Information

Each week we’ll partner with QwikCoach and provide the ability for you to reinforce or expand your knowledge of a prior topic.

Last week’s tip focused on Conflict.

Go to QwikTips to read more! There are two different versions–one for visitors and one for licensed QwikCoach users.

Help turn your leadership knowledge into leadership action!

Stress Relievers

We received quite a bit of feedback on the topic of burn-out and decided this was a good time to re-share some stress relievers from a prior tip.

Stress is not what happens to us. It’s our response to what happens. And response is something we can choose.
–Maureen Killoran

Most everyone experiences stress at some point in their professional life; so much to do, too little time. Do you have coping mechanisms to help you manage it, or do you just accept the fact that your life will include stress?

We suggest that you don’t just “live with it”, but rather face it head-on so you don’t negatively impact relationships, decisions, and how you influence and communicate with others. (And also put your health at risk).

Stress Relieving Tips

  • Establish Priorities. What can you realistically accomplish and in what time frame?
  • Create a task list. Use your priority list as the baseline and then determine what you MUST do, select all tasks that can be delegated to others, and identify any dependencies. Say “no” when there’s a need!
  • Don’t procrastinate! Unfinished work weighs you down.
  • Remember that multitasking increases stress. It delays completing a “to do”, can lead to disorganization and frustration, and creates a loss of focus.
  • Journaling. Writing down your thoughts and experiences is a release.
  • Keep a notepad and pen by your bed. Great ideas may come to us in our sleep; having the notepad allows you to capture the idea, then go back to a sound sleep.
  • Pay attention to your stress levels. Stiff neck? Irritability? Exhaustion? Stand up, walk around, stretch, laugh, listen to music, and laugh more! (Laughter is considered one of the best, and cheapest, medicines.)
  • Schedule time for you on a daily basis. This is critical even if for only 10 minutes. What do you like to do? Read? Listen to music? Take a walk? Power nap? Whatever it is, make time for it.
  • Watch for stressful behaviors in co-workers (and family members). Coach them on stress relievers.
  • Limit the “goodie” intake. The extra carbs can add to fatigue and make you feel guilty (“stressed” spelled backwards is “desserts”).
  • Drink green tea. Caffeine-free green tea has a calming effect.

Is everything as urgent as your stress would imply?
–Carrie Latet

5 Stress Relieving Team Activity Suggestions

  1. Build 15 minutes into a staff meeting and have every team member write a positive one-word descriptor for each teammate. It’s a “feel good” exercise, reduces stress, and builds harmony. (Each person puts their name on a blank piece of paper and the papers are passed around the table for completion.)
  2. Play festive music (if allowed). Encourage each team member to share their favorite song/CD.
  3. Have a bake day where everyone brings in a special treat to share.
  4. If possible, schedule a day for everyone to have lunch together. This can either be potluck or at a restaurant. Share holiday traditions with team members and select the most unique and the most common.
  5. Have the team select and support a community event. There are food drives, gifts for those in need, visits to the lonely, decorating assistance, and even holiday caroling.

Make an effort to keep your perceptions and attitude positive; looking for the good in every situation will help keep your stress levels in check.

Remember, it’s up to us to manage stress and to proactively respond to it! What’s your favorite stress reliever?

QwikTip and QwikCoach

Each week we’ll partner with QwikCoach and provide the ability for you to reinforce or expand your knowledge of a prior topic.

Go to QwikTips to read more! There are two different versions–one for visitors and one for licensed QwikCoach users.

Help turn your leadership knowledge into leadership action!

Control Burn Out

We’re guessing that most of us have either experienced feelings of burnout at work and/or have observed it in others.

We’ll start by sharing a definition provided by Dr. David Ballard of The American Psychological Association:

Burn-out is an extended period of time where someone experiences exhaustion and a lack of interest in things, resulting in a decline in their job performance.

During times of change and uncertainty, and the associated demands, burnout is being experienced in greater volumes because of our inability to manage the stressors.

Signs of Burnout in an Organization

Before you can try to control burn out, you must first recognize what it looks like. Across the organization, are you seeing (or experiencing) these signs of burnout:

  • Mental fatigue
  • Role ambiguity or role conflict
  • Unusual demands
  • Stressful situations
  • Work and output overload/underload
  • Unpredictable behaviors
  • Productivity issues related to job security
  • Lack of or inappropriate communication
  • Withdrawal

We have the need to feel good about ourselves, be proud of the value we provide, and of our accomplishments. We have a natural drive to “achieve,” and in general, confidence levels suffer when we don’t meet our own expectations. We’re our own harshest critic!

You are most vulnerable to burnout when the stresses you experience impact negatively on the things that you find most fulfilling in your job. Not only do you experience the unpleasantness of stress, you lose the job satisfaction that counter-balances this.
–MindTools on Stress Management

Helpful Burn0ut Coping Suggestions

Identify what is causing the burnout and address it. Positively attacking and solving problems, creating solutions, and implementing change will help.

Focus on your demeanor; don’t deny or ignore your negative feelings. It’s okay to share both negative and positive feelings in a professional manner. Everything is not always sunny.

Build relationships and create a network; get a mentor. Share feelings and work with others to create positive energy.

Be flexible; plan for, and expect change. Be genuine, and be open to changing your behaviors that address and minimize burn-out. The result: productivity and happiness levels will improve.

Don’t ignore what you’re feeling; take control!

Here’s a Wealth of Information

Each week we’ll partner with QwikCoach and provide the ability for you to reinforce or expand your knowledge of a prior topic.

Last week’s tip focused on Confidence and Competence.

Go to QwikTips to read more! There are two different versions–one for visitors and one for licensed QwikCoach users.

Help turn your leadership knowledge into leadership action!

Leadership, Stress, and Tips For De-stressing

Chronic workplace stress and burnout are being referred to as an epidemic.

We’re a fast-paced society, job security is pretty much non-existent, we’re told to do more with less, we work harder, and resist taking time off since there’s so much to do. Chances are, you or a member of your team are experiencing stress related issues or job burn-out.

The Link Between Lower Stress & Leadership

Did you know that our work and leadership styles have a correlation with stress levels? Type A personalities (those that are ambitious, organized, take on more and more work, want to be understood, are proactive and competitive, and live to meet deadlines) are at a higher risk for feeling stressed? We work hard and we have high expectations, but frequently feel there is an out of balance condition between the effort we put forth, and the recognition we are given.

From another perspective, individuals that score high in leadership dimensions have lower stress levels. Why? Leadership was linked with high work effort and high work rewards. (Remember how we always say to track progress against your goals, celebrate your successes, and recognize accomplishments?  There’s a reason for that!)

Another link is that high leadership scores were associated with high job control. When you’re in control or feel that you’re in control, you experience less stress. Make sense? Since leadership increases job control, giving employees a stronger say in work decisions helps reduce their job stress. Why not give it try?

5 R’s of Destressing

Richard Blonna, Ed.D, author of Stress Less, Live More, provides the following tips for de-stressing:

  1. Reorganize
    “Reorganize your health” and “develop hearty habits” – a healthy lifestyle provides energy and builds coping resilience.
  2. Rethink
    Be aware of your mental and emotional baggage; you can prevent a potential stressor from becoming an actual stressor. Manage self-doubt and negative thoughts; take control!
  3. Reduce
    Are you involved in too many things? Use a journal to track your activities and your feelings about them, and verify they mesh with your goals and values.
  4. Relax
    Strive for a calm mind. Deep breathing or systematic muscle relaxation, for about 20 minutes a day helps tremendously. Other ideas include listening to music, reading, exercising, spending time with family/friends, and napping.
  5. Release
    Reduce muscle tension and use pent up energy. You need to decide the level of physical activity you need (mild, moderate and vigorous), and select activities you enjoy.

There is no band-aid or one single approach for managing all stressors; what we can do, however, is to understand when stress is setting in. We need to proactively identify which techniques work best for us in specific situations, and remember that true leaders link high work effort with high work rewards!