Many staff members would describe their work as stressful. Stressful staff members cause employers billions of dollars every year in absenteeism, high turn-overs, insurance costs, and lower production levels.
If you have noticed your staff feeling gloomy lately, don’t wait until it’s too late, take action now. Here are a few items that cause your staff stress and ways to help counteract it.
Curb the constant interruptions
Interruptions keep your staff from getting tasks at hand done – telephones, walk-in visits, and supervisor demands can be tough to juggle with a full work load. Help control the situation by giving your staff members the tools to make proper time management decisions and a clear understanding of what is expected of them. Consider part-time help during the busy hours.
Abolish uncertainty
Do you have changes that have happened and you failed to mention it to your staff until the change was in motion? Nobody likes being left out of the loop, especially when it affects them personally. Keeping your staff informed reduces stressful feelings and improves productivity. Take time to have a mini meeting with the staff and write it all out ahead of time so they come prepared with questions.
Pave the way for clear direction
Does your staff know which direction you want your business to go? Communicate it! Everyone should be clear on where your business is going and what your policies are. Clear communication between you and your staff will help keep everyone focused on the road ahead.
Keep your staff informed
Your staff wants to know how they are doing, and whether they are meeting expectations. If you fail to communicate your thoughts on their performance, they will stress about how they are doing. Sending a simple email at the end of the week with good and bad feedback will let them know exactly where they stand. Just remember to put in facts and leave out any condescending wording or inappropriate humor.
