Workplace stress is bad for business and bad for workers.
This, according to recent research compiled by Eastern Kentucky University’s Occupational Safety Department. This new research supports something we’ve emphasized for a while (it is a core topic of our White Paper on The ROI of Approachable Leadership).
Here’s the deal.
Businesses are run by people. Plain and simple. People are emotional, even those of us who have a hard time showing it. We have families, friends, debt, yards to mow, meals to prepare, cars to fix, the list goes on and on (I feel my blood pressure rising just writing that sentence). We have responsibilities – things life requires of us. Then we have jobs. And with a job comes another endless list of more responsibilities.
But somewhere in the midst of all of these responsibilities, we dream. We dream of the things we want for ourselves. Of the books we want to read. The places we want to visit. The mark we want to leave on the world. We dream of a good life – a life well-lived.
I was going to say that satisfaction isn’t attainable, but that’s wrong. With apologies to the Rolling Stones, you CAN get satisfaction as long as you realize it isn’t a destination or a place you go. Instead you get satisfaction in doses. Moments of joy and contentment. Many times these moments are followed by more work and, yes, sometimes drudgery. When we are our best selves we move from one moment of joy to working on that next step or level on our journey. As we make progress on that journey we experience more joy.
Herzberg teaches us that we leaders can’t make people happy. But we can definitely make them unhappy. We can also help create the conditions where people can experience moments of happiness and joy each day. People spend at least 40 hours a week at their jobs (plus many more hours working at home). We leaders have a responsibility (yes, another responsibility) to create an environment where people can feel like they are making progress. That doesn’t make people feel like they’re shriveling up.
People want to grow. They want to feel useful and valuable. These are the things that drive people to work hard, to innovate, to be pleasant to their coworkers.
When these things a missing people tend to focus on other things – the workplace stress, the frustrations, the lack of energy. They do this until they become so overwhelmed that they are no longer able function to their full capabilities. And this factor alone is costing U.S. companies $150 billion per year in lost productivity.
Juggling work and personal life is just one of the four leading causes of stress in the workplace as reported by EKU. The other three are: lack of job security, people issues, and workload. These are things the leader can heavily influence. But many leaders ignore these issues, either because they aren’t paying attention (leaders are busy and dealing with workplace stress too) or nobody tells them because they don’t feel comfortable enough to do so. They don’t have an approachable leader.
I know it sounds almost too simple of a solution, but it works.
89% of employees of approachable leaders report being happy, less stressed, and more satisfied with their work.
They feel this way because they can talk to their leader. When they have an issue at work, it gets resolved; when they have an issue outside of work, it gets shared and understood; when they have an idea, it gets encouraged.
Have a look at the infographic below for a better understanding of how workplace stress is impacting your company and your team. Then, go here to get a copy of The Approachability Playbook. It’ll teach you how to be a more approachable leader one tool at a time.
Think about a recent time you dealt with stress in the workplace (I’m sure it won’t be hard). What do you think would have helped you manage that stress a little better? Was there anything your coworkers could do? Your boss?
