Managerial Skills Lecture Managing Stress

Learning Objectives Understand Symptoms of Stress. Identify Causes of Stress. Reduce Causes of Stress. Develop Resiliency to Stress

Why Is Stress Management Important? Organizational Costs Individual Costs –Health Impairment –Job Burnout –Performance Decline

Exhibit: Relationship Between Stress and Job Performance

What Skills Are Needed to Cope with Stress? Becoming Aware of Negative Stress Symptoms Determining the Sources Doing Something Constructive

Stress Symptoms Physical Symptoms Psychological Symptoms

How Can Stressors be Identified? (Sources of Stress) Major Organizational Stressors? –High-stress Occupations Level of control, physical conditions, time pressure, responsibility –Job Role Overload or underutilization Ambiguity or conflict –Interpersonal Relationships

How Can Stressors Be Identified? (continued) What are major personal stressors? –Family problems –Financial problems –Health problems Change –Personality E.g. Type A

How Can Stressors Be Identified? (continued) Major Environmental Stressors –Economic Uncertainty –Political Uncertainties –Technological Change

What Constructive Things Can Be Done To Reduce Stress? Individual Coping Strategies –Seeking Help –Managing Time (planning, scheduling, using time effectively) Planning –Know your Values and Goals Organizing –List Activities –Prioritize Activities Based on Planning

Activities That Determine Time Use URGENCY IMPORTANCE HIGHLOW HIGH LOW Most problem solving Immediate deadlines Answering the phone Interruptions from others Reading a book related to current priorities Preparing for more distant deadlines Family Worrying or anger Watching too much TV Surfing the internet for no reason

Constantly Ask: What Is the Most Effective Use of My Time Right Now? Individual Coping Strategies (Continued) What Constructive Things Can Be Done To Reduce Stress? (Continued) Horizontal Scheduling Vertical Scheduling Effective Delegation

Exhibit: 80/20 Rule ActivitiesTime SpentResults Trivial 80% 20% Vital 20% 80%

Individual Coping Strategies (Continued) Capitalize on Your Productivity Cycle Minimize Disruptions Avoid Procrastinating Meeting Management What Constructive Things Can Be Done To Reduce Stress? (Continued)

Exhibit: Methods for Dealing with Procrastination REASONSPOTENTIAL SOLUTIONS Unpleasant taskDo it first thing. Find someone else to do it. Overwhelming tasksDivide and conquer by breaking it into smaller pieces. Set a time aside Ride the momentum. Once you get going, keep at it. Assume success Unclear goalAsk for clarification. Clarify your own goals. Unclear task flowAsk for clarification. Plan how to do it yourself. See text for Psychological Reasons...

Changing Jobs/Major/Career Developing Resiliency –Personality Hardiness High Self-Esteem –self-serving bias vs imposter syndrome Internal Locus of Control –Reframing –Small-wins Strategy Extroversion Individual Coping Strategies (Continued) What Constructive Things Can Be Done To Reduce Stress? (Continued)

–Social Support –Health Maintenance Diet and Exercise Short-term, Emotion-Focused Strategies –Recreation –Relaxation Individual Coping Strategies Through Resiliency (Continued) What Constructive Things Can Be Done To Reduce Stress? (Continued)