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