Here are the top five picks in my book for consistent stressors in the workplace. If you look them over carefully you will see that resolving them is possible, yet the lack of effort on both employees and business owners part to do so causes continued destruction to the business and those who work there.
1. Improper or lack of training for your job tasks can be a great stressor. You never know if you are going to get it right or not, so it always feels like a gamble. Ask your supervisor or employer for assistance when you feel that you haven’t had training or are unsure if you are completing the job tasks to their expectations. Reassurance is a great stress reliever.
2. Poor work relationships. Whether you are having problems with co-workers or employers or you just haven’t been able to cultivate good relationships at work this can cause stress. We are creatures that are relational and even though many of us like to work independently we enjoy camaraderie with those with whom we work with. Being able to establish relationships with proper workplace boundaries can be challenging, but they are worth it. It is nice to go to work knowing those you work with care about you.
3. Lack of organizational skills, either with yourself, your department or the whole company. When there are no policies and procedures set in place for employees to follow then things can change on a daily basis. You never know which way is up, but be prepared and put on your seatbelt because working under these conditions can be one great roller-coaster ride and not a fun one. Ask your leadership to look into developing a simple policy and procedure manual so that everyone can be on the same page and the daily ride can be much smoother.
4. Baggage from the outside being brought into the workplace. When will people realize that bringing their personal problems to work is just so bad? I am not talking about employees that are dealing with stressful life issues, such as terminal illness in the family, divorce, personal illness, but even these situations have the place, such as a mention for understanding and then everyone being able to continue their job task unaffected or at least your customers do no catch wind of the problem. Too many times it is the petty things that people will bring into the workplace and allow them to take over their priorities at work. “Everyone knows that Susie broke up with Billy last night and it is the talk of the office for days, weeks and possibly months.” Yes this is what I am talking about, plain old personal baggage that does not belong at work. It is okay to mention that your daughter’s wedding is coming up and even sharing event planning and pictures, but when your coworkers know more about the wedding than family members, yes there is a problem. Be careful and watch that you are not an over offender when it comes to bringing personal baggage to work.
5. Over worked and under paid. Is there anything worse? Well maybe there is, but this one ranks up there with the top stressors. When you are suffering from burnout at work everything looks worse than it really is, your focus just is not right because you are so toasted. The more hours you put in the less you are really making and it becomes a vicious circle that seems impossible to break out of without just up and quitting your job (which most people would rather do than try to correct the problem). When you see that things are beginning to spiral downward you need to be able to run to the nearest supervisor and express your concern not only for yourself, but coworkers and the betterment of the business. As when employees enter the burnout stage many times the whole business is in trouble. Don’t be afraid to blow the whistle and demand that the bus stop so you can get off before it crashes. You will be very glad and de-stressed that you did.
As we know there are many things that can cause us stress at work and these are just a few. The important thing is when you begin to feel stress to address it, identify it and find a way to deal with it so that you do not get caught up in it and possibly allow it to cause you to leave or lose your job.
“On the keyboard of life, always keep one finger on the Escape key. Meaning – take a vacation, learn to relax in stressful times.” ~ Unknown
Can you add to the list of stressors at work? Leave a comment and let us know what stresses you.
12/2/13
Comentarios