Is Workplace Stress Always Bad?
We have the stress test for US banks. Now we need a stress test for managers.
The Samaritans reckon that workplace stress costs British industry £3.8bn. In the US, it's closer to $300bn, proving that Americans do everything on a grander scale than the Brits.
But is all stress bad?
Imagine two workplaces. In Happy Co, you can chill out to whale music; you have flexi-time, easy hours and an undemanding boss.
At Stressville Inc, you are always stretched in terms of goals, resources, time and skills. You are always having to push your limits. Which place will bring out the best in you, where will you learn and grow the most?
As you wander around Stressville, you find something odd -- lots of young and ambitious people are battling to get in.
What is it that makes ambitious graduates want to join stressful professions -- law, medicine, investment banking, consulting or teaching in an inner city school? Not all of these stressful occupations are even highly paid.
The trick here is that there is a difference between pressure and stress. Pressure is good -- under pressure we are forced to grow and develop. High pressure environments can be addictively attractive to people.
Young graduates often want to join a high pressure workplace because they know it will be full of people like themselves: over-achievers. They are not ready to relapse into happy land yet.
Pressure becomes stress when we lose control. We have an idiot for a boss who bullies but never supports,we have unachievable goals with impossible deadlines, we have to rely on unreliable partners and colleagues.
The problem is that many managers confuse pressure and stress. Macho managers pile on the stress because they think that bullying shows strength.
Tree-huggers turn on the whale music because they think that any hint of pressure is stressful. Both methods are useless.
Effective managers will be demanding. They will create pressure, they will stretch, challenge and develop their staff. They may be tough about the goals, but they will be flexible about the means and supportive of their staff.
In the short term, we all enjoy the opportunity to skive off for a while and enjoy some down time. But we will not gain respect from staff if we do not develop and challenge them appropriately.
Good managers know how to apply pressure but avoid stress.