Stress is something that we cannot avoid in life. There is stress surrounding every area of our lives. We have relationships and responsibilities within our personal lives that we must balance. There is always something that can be done better in your professional life. All of these things can cause stress. A good employer should do all that they can to try and eliminate any extra stress surrounding the work environment. It is a more uplifting place without additional items weighing on employees’ minds, and work production can increase.
Less Mysterious
The unknown is the first thing in the workplace that causes stress. You do not want to share aspects of being a boss. Those things you can be transparent about, you should be. The worst feeling is being told you need to meet with your superior but not being told why. Avoid this at all costs. Not much work will be done with a mysterious meeting hanging over their head. Whenever possible, give more details about why you want to meet. This will reduce the stress of all involved by knowing more information about meetings.
Gossip
Avoid gossip at all costs. It can be lonely to be the boss and tempting to talk as friends with those you work with. Talking about other employees needs not to be one of the topics you focus on. It may be one of the things you have in common, but as a boss, you need to remember anything you say will travel. Once employees know that you are openly discussing them, it will cause everyone more stress. As an employer, you need to remember to try your best to reduce stress. Discouraging any gossip and not participating yourself will go a long way to do this.
Praise
Critique is easier to give than praise. However, praise is something that should not be withheld. It is one of the main things you can do to help everyone feel more comfortable. Giving a compliment should not only be done when someone exceeds your expectations. Give praise even if they are only doing their job. You do not need to if they are not doing well, but if they are, giving the praise will help. It will not only help reduce stress, but could help promote more diligent work production.
Fewer Meetings
Meetings and more meetings. If this is what your week looks like, no wonder you are stressed. Even if you are not running the sessions, being in one can raise your stress levels. Trying to observe and participate does not come easily to everyone. Meetings also disrupt the typical workday, giving employees less time to complete their routine tasks. Many meetings can be accomplished in an email. If you can save their time, it will help them more than any meeting.
Be a boss that everyone wants to have. Do all that you can to reduce the stress in your work environment.
