What To Do If An Employee Tells You They’re “Stressed”
I once had a frustrated leader bark at me “How am I supposed to know if my team member really is stressed or not?”
It was in the middle of a workshop with 50 other leaders in the room.
His frustration was palpable.
Borderline aggressive.
I didn’t love the approach, but I empathised with his situation.
The hard truth is though, if you don’t have some idea then perhaps your finger isn’t as on the pulse as it should be.
Here’s three ways you can ensure you know the answer:
1) How Have Your 1:1 Discussions Been Going?
Have you noticed any change in behaviour? Have any concerns been raised by the individual about workload, coping, demands? Are you asking the right questions? And are you making it safe for them to share bad news?
Download my Monthly Accountability Meeting Template for more tips on asking the right questions.
2) What Do You Know About the Person’s Individual Circumstances Right Now?
Are there caring responsibilities, financial worries, family concerns, relationship breakdowns etc, that are impacting on them?
3) What Are the Situational Factors at Work?
Is there widespread change? Is the job overloaded? Is there a conflict with another team member? Is the person being asked to work outside their skill level? Do they have the tools and support needed to effectively do their job? Are they clear on their roles and responsibilities? Most of the time if you’re checking in with your people adequately, you’ll have a sense of what’s going on with them and will know if the claim has merit or is misguided.
You might find this blog helpful: The Risks of Fundamental Attribution Error in the Workplace – Tanya Heaney-Voogt
Regardless of the system or framework developed in your workplace to proactively identify, assess and control psychosocial hazards – leaders play a key role in monitoring the wellbeing of their team members.
Keeping an eye on these three factors will go a long way to identifying concerns early and being able to provide support before things escalate.
If you need help for yourself or your leadership team to ensure they’re leading safely and effectively, monitoring worker wellbeing and able to discern the truths and respective actions – please don’t hesitate to reach out for a chat.
It’s a complex area to navigate and these complexities are why I wrote my second book – Finding Equilibrium: How To Lead Safely and Effectively in the Modern World of Work.
About Tanya
Positive Change Drives Positive Results
A keynote speaker and author of 3 books with a career spanning more than 25 years in leading people, culture, projects and change, Tanya knows what it takes to cut through the noise and create positive change at work.
Known for her highly engaging approach alongside her evidence-based programs, Tanya’s programs are highly impactful which is why her clients continue to partner with her for years.
Working with CEO’s, Senior Executives, and People, Culture and Safety Teams, Tanya’s clients often say they are:
■ Wanting to create a mentally healthy and high performing workplace but don’t know how to start
■Struggling with team dynamics and culture challenges impacting on wellbeing and productivity
■ Implementing workplace change and want to ensure best practice so that it doesn’t fail or lose engagement of their teams
■ Going through complex change and people are stressed, overwhelmed and need to get change back on a more positive track
■ Are afraid of losing good people and the organisations’ reputation when tackling a significant change
■ Wanting to ensure their people thrive, not just survive.
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