A call to ban the word stress in the workplace

Stress – it is a word that is so overused, both inside and outside the workplace. This is not to say it is not a serious issue but if we are to limit the negative impact associated with, and caused, by stress in the workplace we need to move away from focusing on it so much and think about pressure and resilience.

It is true the side effects of stress on individuals can be terrible, from both a mental and physical perspective. They are also terrible for businesses and can lead to mistakes, loss of productivity and high levels of sickness absence. But by focusing efforts soley on stress itself we have already decided it exists within our organisation and in fact we will probably end up fuelling it.

I worked with someone who suffered with stress on and off over 10 years. Her company sent her on a couple of stress management workshops, but generally they made her feel worse and just gave her another thing to worry about. She then attended a health and energy related workshop and it was here that she learnt about what the early warning signs of stress are. As a result she has been able to manage pressure at work more effectively and has developed more resilience to the pressure and challenges when they arise.

Let’s face it, pressure exists everywhere. In fact, as I have said in previous blog posts a little bit of pressure can actually be a good thing, helping motivate and engage people. It is how people deal with this pressure that will determine whether our businesses are successful or not.

So, rather than focus all of our attention on stress let’s focus on giving our people the tools they need to manage pressure effectively. By taking a more proactive approach to the health and wellbeing of our workforce and the initiatives we put in place, rather than simply reacting to problems, will enable us to create a much more resilient workforce.

How high-flyers can avoid burnout…

We have all seen it in the press – reports about senior executives burning out. It can be a lonely job at the top and a role that comes with immense pressure. But it is how we manage this pressure that will determine our success.

Once reaching the top things often change. Not only is there more responsibility but colleagues can react differently to you when you move into a leadership position and very few individuals can truly be used as a sounding board. This adds to the pressure.

Also, when you are in a position of leadership and authority you are quite often tasked with having to make difficult decisions. Get it right and you’re doing a great job, get it wrong and your reputation can be tarnished. Unfortunately this is quite often the reality of the corporate world that we live in.

It’s how we as leaders handle this pressure that will lead to the success or failure of a business. All too often we talk about stress – it seems like every other week there is a new report out highlighting increasing levels of stress among managers, leaders and employees.

But let’s face it, if we are honest a little bit of pressure is good. As a leader myself I know that a little bit of pressure can motivate me and give me the drive to achieve great things but I also see it in my team. Pressure of some sort will always exist and it should not be considered a bad thing. What is important is our reaction to it.

As leaders, we need to learn how to deal with this pressure effectively and ensure our employees are able to do the same. Only then will we be successful in creating a resilient workforce.

Schools are beginning to take wellbeing seriously but what about businesses?

I read a recent article showcasing a school in Berkshire that has introduced wellbeing lessons
to help boost pupils' grades. The lessons were introduced to the school's curriculum in 2006 and since then, A level grades have risen - from 69 per cent achieving A or B grades to 93 per cent achieving an A*, A or B.

Clearly investment in pupil’s wellbeing, giving them time out from other lessons to focus on this, is having a positive impact. But how long will it take for other schools to get this and start investing in it? My conclusion – it will take a long time if businesses are anything to go by.

Government statistics show that for every £1 invested in staff wellbeing, there’s a return of £3 in improved efficiency and productivity and research from Roffey Park has repeatedly found a correlation between individual wellbeing and the financial and strategic success of the organisation they work for.

Like some of the businesses we work with the school in Berkshire is being innovative and reaping the benefits. However, some employers are not doing anything when it comes to employee wellbeing or simply dipping their toes in the water - perhaps they just don't understand the true cost of poor wellbeing or they see it has being just too difficult to tackle? As an expert in health, energy and performance I know that it doesn’t take much to see a little increase in energy levels and performance – one simple change can have a huge impact.

To achieve meaningful results a culture shift is needed, which has to start at the top with senior
management. As managers and leaders we need to lead by example – only when we take our health and wellbeing seriously, will this will filter down to staff.

A reduction in sickness absence is not always a good thing…

In a recent article on the Guardian Online Professor Gary Johns highlights the fact presenteeism is a much worse problem than absenteeism. He says, "There is considerable agreement across studies that presenteeism accounts for more aggregate productivity loss than absenteeism."

I agree with Professor Gary Johns. Yes, we need to reduce sickness absence but if staff are simply coming into work to show their face then the numbers are deceiving. Whilst on the face of it there maybe a reduction is sickness absence productivity may not have improved, in fact it could have got worse. And it is this that we need to be focusing on because it is quality and high productivity that will create a successful business not an extra person sitting at a desk.

This is not to say stop monitoring sickness absence but as employers we also need to be proactive in our approach to employee wellbeing, offering a range of initiatives to educate staff and really help them improve their health and energy. This is what will ultimately lead to staff performing at their best and increased productivity.

So it is simple really – a healthy energised workforce results in improved productivity and reduced absence. And it is the organisations that get this and are being proactive in their approach to employee wellbeing that will succeed. They are the innovators that are investing in the health and energy of their staff, making employee wellbeing part of their organisational culture, and in turn creating a much more resilient workforce.

Wellbeing initiatives – should they stay or go during financial difficulty?

Healthy staff = healthy profits

The business case for employee wellbeing should be simple. But some argue that business leaders cannot possibly justify wellbeing related initiatives when they are making cut backs.

When an employer asked Lucy Kellaway, from the Financial Times, whether they should keep their subsidised staff canteen her answer was simple – yes. But it wasn’t so straightforward when it came to the gym membership.

She explains the benefits that a staff canteen has on a business in terms of bringing people together. But what about the other benefits associated with it?

A staff canteen not only brings people together but it means organisations can help staff achieve a balanced diet and maintain high energy. It is this that will improve performance.

Then there is the gym membership that Kellaway dismisses. It’s true that some people will value this more than others but it’s all about educating employees and giving them the tools to improve the health and energy – achieve this and productivity will improve.

So when we are asked should wellbeing initiatives be slashed during difficult economic times? In my world the answer is simple – no.

We know from our work with some of the top UK brands that a healthy workforce results in improved productivity and reduced absence. It is the forward thinking organisations, like eBay and Google, that are being proactive in their approach to employee wellbeing that will succeed.

These organisations are the innovators that are making efforts to help their staff improve their health and energy, making employee wellbeing part of their organisational culture, and in turn creating a much more resilient workforce.