A leader can be under stress. But, how can it reduce stress… what does he cause to others? This article doesn’t want to stress you 😉. You will find ideas to have a positive impact on others, in part, by reducing the stress you can cause, even if you are acting in good faith.
First of all, know that stress is not something you want to eradicate completely. What?
Stress is part of your physical functioning and serves to protect you and keep you alive. That said, if you’re stressed because you’re running late or your internet connection is slow. Know that your life is not in danger! This is because your brain interprets specific external signals. So when you know these signals, or stress-generating factors, you can better manage your stress and decrease the stress you can cause to others.
Let’s face it, if you’re stressed, it impacts the people around you: your family, your colleagues and your teams.
Let’s take a look at what you can do to better manage stress, in particular, how, as a manager, you can minimize stress around you.
Do you prefer video to text? Watch the video recap of the article below.
How does stress appear?
Stress occurs when one or more of the following factors are present:
- Lack of control;
- Unforeseen events;
- Novelty;
- An ego, a reputation or an image threatened.
Each person has more sensitive factors than others. The better you know yourself and others, the more proactive you can be in reducing your stress, or the stress of those around you.
As a leader, you have two powers:
- Better manage your stress by focusing on what you control, by better anticipating the unexpected, by developing your skills, by developing better knowledge and self-confidence.
- Have a more positive impact on your teams and colleagues by proactively acting on factors that can decrease their stress. This is the case we are talking about here, if you want to read articles on managing your stress, click here.
What can you do, as a leader, to reduce stress?
Remember the principle that stressors are: lack of control, unforeseen events, novelty and a threatened ego.
So logically (well… and it’s scientifically validated by Dr. Sonia Lupin.), everything you can do to:
- Give a sense of control
- Better anticipate or better communicate the unexpected
- bring the novelty at the right time, or in the right quantity
- Considering ego and reputation
are a plus for your team and colleagues!
Here are some ideas and your request from the coach is to find even more ideas that you can leave in comments and above all, put into practice!
Ideas to reduce stress
- Provide flexibility on
- Deadlines;
- Content;
- Definition of things to do;
- Personal time management;
- Other elements that give the other person a sense of control over their task or role.
(If you are micromanaging or doing it yourself, you will love the following article, click here)
- Give clear expectations about projects: what is the budget (money or time), what is the ultimate priority, what are the priority features, etc.
- Clarify roles and responsibilities for people in general, but also in meetings, in specific projects. It doesn’t have to be complex, you can even ask someone to tell you what they understand about their role… and you’ll just have to adjust! No big project of writing roles and responsibilities here! 😉
- Avoid uncertainty in the performance offered by a team member by offering recognition and feedback frequently. It doesn’t have to be formal, but it needs to be present and frequent. By frequently, I mean as often as weekly or monthly.
- Manage changes better by being better prepared, analyzing impacts, and communicating consciously. For example: if you’re not sure about something important, wait before speaking. I see many managers who need to talk, and who unwittingly give information that generates uncertainty for their teams. If you’re in brainstorming mode, find another person! A colleague, a member of your network, a coach, a mentor! In short, a person who will not be destabilized.
- Change your mind less often! In other words, if you are aligned with a vision and goals and your change of mind is about the “how” to get to the goal in order to be more effective or more benevolent, this will be understandable. In the event that your vision is not clear or understood, your changes of mind will be stressful! To reduce stress, clarify your vision and communicate there! Communication has to be worked on!
- Don’t let rumors or conflicts continue. Take care of the atmosphere and aim for a healthy and non-threatening environment.
In conclusion
You have more control than you think about the stress that there may be in your team, or that you generate without even knowing it. Here the idea is not to awaken a sense of guilt in you, but rather to create an opening so that you can have a more positive impact around you, and thus increase performance AND well-being.
In addition, if the subject of stress and emotions appeals to you, there is a 2-hour online self-training course that can really help you. Those who follow her have tools for life! Click here for details.