| Building a resilient workforce to manage pressure | | | | and behaviour.Stress management training can then |
| effectively'Resilience' is the new buzzword for the | | | | build on this by teaching employees about the nature |
| process of adapting well in the face of adversity, | | | | and sources of stress, its effects on health, and the |
| trauma, tragedy, threats or other 'stressors'. It's how | | | | personal skills needed to reduce it. Training may also |
| we 'bounce back' from difficult situations. And | | | | help reduce stress symptoms such as anxiety and |
| fortunately resilience isn't a characteristic that we either | | | | sleep disturbances, and has the added advantage of |
| do or don't have. It involves behaviours, thoughts and | | | | being relatively inexpensive.Employees also need to |
| actions that can be learned and developed.Studies | | | | know how to raise concerns about work pressure |
| have shown that the most important factors in building | | | | (informally and formally) - for example by speaking to |
| resilience include:- having caring and supportive | | | | their supervisor or manager, through an existing |
| relationships- the ability to make realistic plans and take | | | | grievance procedure, or under a dedicated stress |
| steps to carry them out- possessing a positive | | | | policy. The key is that employees should find it as |
| self-view- confidence in your strengths and abilities- | | | | easy and unthreatening as possible to speak up about |
| good communication skills- being able to manage | | | | stress at work, and should be able to do so without |
| strong feelings and impulses- strong problem-solving | | | | fear of recrimination or any other negative |
| abilitiesSo if these are the qualities we need to | | | | outcomes.Mediation and negotiationIn mediation, the |
| increase our resilience as individuals, what lessons can | | | | parties in a dispute express their views on a |
| we learn in terms of the characteristics and culture | | | | contentious matter, establish common ground, and |
| required to build a 'resilient' organisation?Building | | | | move towards a solution that's acceptable to all. In |
| resilience by reducing stressBecause our working lives | | | | negotiation, the aim is to reach agreement on a course |
| are becoming increasingly stressful, in November 2004 | | | | of action that satisfies at least some of the claims of |
| the Health and Safety Executive announced its new | | | | both sides. Access to mediation and negotiation are |
| Management Standards for work-related stress, which | | | | therefore vital in enabling workplace disputes to be |
| are designed to help ensure that organisations address | | | | resolved before they escalate into stress-inducing or |
| key aspects of workplace stress (or 'risk factors') | | | | bullying behaviours which can be much more difficult to |
| including demands, control, support, relationships, role | | | | resolve.Rehabilitation back to workWhere employees |
| and change. For each risk factor, the Management | | | | have been forced to take time away from work as a |
| Standards include a description of what should be | | | | result of stress, their rehabilitation back to work needs |
| happening in an organisation (or 'states to be achieved') | | | | to be carefully managed. For those employees who |
| in order for the standard to be met. 'Demands', for | | | | require specialist support, Employee Assistance |
| example, includes issues like workload, work patterns | | | | Programmes and counselling services are a vital |
| and the work environment. States to be achieved are | | | | component in employee well being.Employee |
| that:- The organisation provides employees with | | | | counsellingIn February 2002, the Court of Appeal ruled, |
| adequate and achievable demands in relation to the | | | | inter alia, that 'any employer who offered a confidential |
| agreed hours of work- People's skills and abilities are | | | | counselling service was unlikely to be found in breach |
| matched to the job demands- Jobs are designed to | | | | of duty of care, by the courts'. Counselling should |
| be within the capabilities of employees- Employees' | | | | therefore be regarded as an intervention to be |
| concerns about their work environment are | | | | included alongside other supportive services available |
| addressedThe guidance centres around carrying out a | | | | to employees.First contact counselling teamsThese |
| risk assessment for stress (this is also a legal | | | | teams are made up of volunteers (from the |
| requirement), the results of which should highlight | | | | organisation) who are trained in basic counselling skills, |
| problem areas that need to be addressed in order to | | | | and receive ongoing training and supervision. They're |
| reduce (or ideally remove the causes of) stress.But | | | | often used as a 'first contact' for employees, for |
| while the Management Standards provide a foundation | | | | whom they can provide an active listening service and |
| for stress reduction, there are many other actions that | | | | help to deal with work-related problems such as |
| organisations should also consider in order to increase | | | | stress, bullying, change and mediation.Employee |
| its resilience, some of the most important of which | | | | Assistance Programmes (EAPs)An EAP offers |
| include the following:Commitment to stress | | | | employees access to a confidential counselling and |
| managementA Stress Policy should be implemented in | | | | information service, and to be effective must have the |
| conjunction with staff liaison groups, and commitment | | | | backing of senior management. However, although it |
| should begin at the most senior level and be cascaded | | | | can play an important role in helping to deal with |
| downwards. There's little point in introducing stress | | | | stress-related problems, it should not detract from the |
| management training for line managers, for example, if | | | | importance of line managers actively listening to their |
| senior managers have little or no commitment to | | | | staff. Nor must an application to the EAP be |
| minimising or eliminating excessive pressure within the | | | | misinterpreted by managers as suggesting a lack of |
| organisation.Recruitment and selectionWhen recruiting | | | | confidence in their own ability to deal with |
| it's important that both the organisation and applicant | | | | stress-related issues.What shouldn't you do?Depending |
| understand the requirements of the post and potential | | | | on the nature of your organisation, concierge services, |
| pressures involved. One conclusion of a landmark | | | | or complementary therapies such as reflexology, yoga, |
| Court of Appeal case in February 2002 was that | | | | massage etc, may also be of benefit. Typically, |
| 'there are no occupations that should be regarded as | | | | however, they should be incorporated within an holistic |
| intrinsically dangerous to mental health'. It's therefore | | | | approach to reducing work-related stress and |
| essential to combine an appropriate selection policy | | | | increasing resilience - rather than being expected to |
| with sufficient job-specific and practical training - to | | | | resolve underlying problems on their own.If an |
| enable individuals to carry out their jobs within their | | | | organisation introduces these types of 'stress-busting' |
| capabilities and with the minimum of | | | | initiatives without a solid foundation of stress |
| stress.Management styleEffective communication is | | | | management training and employee counselling |
| often neglected in management training, yet it's | | | | support, they risk adding to problems of work-related |
| essential to good management - by reducing | | | | stress - through frustration, disillusion, and a belief |
| misunderstanding and the opportunity for | | | | amongst employees that the true causes of stress |
| discontent.Effective communication includes active | | | | aren't being taken seriously, and the organisation is |
| listening skills - engaging with the person you're listening | | | | simply paying lip service to the problem.Ultimately, |
| to and responding appropriately. Good communication | | | | reducing workplace stress and building resilience is |
| at all levels will help ensure that everyone in the | | | | largely a matter of common sense and good |
| organisation can work with confidence - reducing the | | | | management practice, and simply requires employers |
| opportunities for stress to develop.Work-related | | | | and employees to work together for the common |
| trainingMany organisations face sudden changes in | | | | good. Both share a joint responsibility for reducing |
| work demands, and employees need the necessary | | | | stress - which, when this is successful, can help |
| training and experience to meet the ever-increasing | | | | employees to enjoy their work more, and businesses |
| demands made on them. Examples include training in | | | | to thrive as a result.For this to become a reality, |
| resilience, time management, communication skills, etc. | | | | organisations need to work towards the creation of a |
| Training in communication (and particularly active | | | | 'healthy', resilient work culture - one where there is an |
| listening) skills is essential to help ensure that managers | | | | intelligent two-way dialogue between managers and |
| are aware of their team members' problems and in a | | | | employees; where concerns can be raised in the |
| position to offer early interventions to resolve | | | | confidence that actions will be taken; and where |
| these.Stress awareness and stress management | | | | everyone in the organisation recognises stress as an |
| trainingFor stress management to become integral to | | | | unnecessary and unacceptable drain on creativity and |
| corporate culture, initiatives must be introduced that will | | | | resources. Or to put it another way, a culture where |
| raise awareness of work-related stress. In particular, | | | | healthy ways of working have become so ingrained |
| recognising the early warning signs and symptoms | | | | that the need for the Management Standards will no |
| should become integral to management strategy. This | | | | longer exist.Carole Spiers GroupInternational Stress |
| can be achieved by monitoring sickness absence | | | | Management & Employee Wellbeing |
| (especially short-term), carrying out confidential staff | | | | ConsultancyGordon House, 83-85 Gordon Ave, |
| surveys, observing working relationships (especially | | | | Stanmore, Middlesex. HA7 3QR. |
| team dynamics), and questioning changes in attitude | | | | |