Rising gas prices, rising grocery bills, and the rising cost of daily necessities are putting financial strain on many workers. Add concerns about global conflicts, political uncertainty, and its growing role artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace and it’s easy to understand why many employees are feeling increased stress and anxiety.
Managers are asked not only to maintain productivity, but also to help teams manage stress and uncertainty and steer the ship through these trying moments. There are several ways managers can reduce stress and support a more productive workplace:
1. Make a positive workplace culture a daily priority
Double down on positive workplace culture and make it a functional part of every employee’s day. This sense of belonging and camaraderie can have a positive psychological impact on both their self-esteem and their attitudes towards work and productivity.
2. Be transparent and communicate often
When people don’t get all the information they require, they tend to fill in the blanks themselves. When this happens, they often don’t make the best guesses when they feel that information is being withheld from them. In stressful times, people want to know leadership have a plan. Most importantly, they want to understand the plan and feel they have a say in how it moves forward. Having some degree of agency can make tension productive, turning it into action rather than just negative emotion.
3. Resolve toxic dynamics early and consider outside help
If your workplace culture is less than positive, take it very seriously. At the risk of being self-serving, my advice is to enlist professionals with experience in conflict resolution to help you identify the obstacles and opportunities between the current situation and the one you hope to create, and develop a plan to get there. Why not use an internal resource? It is rare for an insider, no matter how astute or experienced, to be able to look at a situation as objectively as an outsider. Except in rare cases, insiders often lack the neutrality and credibility that must be trusted by all parties involved.
The topic of workplace stress is very complex and shaped by a myriad of personalities, perspectives, backgrounds, and interpersonal dynamics. In the workplace, we see a range of people, and each person has a different tolerance to stress and triggers. We see that they are interconnected and we must be ready to adapt our skills and abilities to any situation. This is a big job that requires flexibility, patience and good judgment on the part of supervisors. While workplace tensions are inevitable during uncertain times, thoughtful leadership, clear communication, and early intervention can help turn stress into sustainable conflict.
