What’s Stress Got To Do With It…
Do we actually thrive under pressure?
Last week on a call I found myself saying “I thrive under stress”… after the call I took a pause and thought to myself … “did I really just say that, I’m a person that lives with anxiety... do I actually thrive under pressure or is something else happening here…”
I decided to explore the topic of stress, because I fundamentally believe that people do their best work when they are fulfilled at work, and when they’re creating and working from an inner state of joy. Let me clarify…
I believe people can still achieve many things when they’re not in a state of joy… aka when we finish tough projects or meet impossible deadlines, but we’re at our absolute best when we work from a place of joy and inner motivation (self-motivation).
So I set out to find out… does stress motivate us?
After extensive research, I found the answer… and it turns out some stress is “good”… and some is very “bad”, so bad in fact that the World Health Organization deems workplace burnout an occupational hazard.
Let’s get into the two kinds of stress.
The first kind of stress — “bad” stress is hindrance stress which comes from stressors that hinder our progress, such as workplace culture, unfair deadlines, unresponsive co-workers, lack of communication, lack of direction, lack of resources, bad leadership, etc.
This is the kind of stress that you usually feel in your chest or in your stomach, it comes with feelings of panic, nervousness, feeling out of control, procrastination, avoidance, uncertainty, inability to focus, and lack of inspiration.
Have you ever sat at your computer in the morning , opened an email & before you even started processing it, you felt tightness in your chest?
✋ I’ve been there.. in fact it’s where I often feel stress first... in my chest. This kind of stress is not motivating, in fact it’s the kind that leads to burnout.
The second kind of stress is challenge stress — or “good” stress — this is when you’re challenged to grow and pushed out of your comfort zone, the stress that comes with taking on a big project you’re not sure you can handle, but you’re willing to put in the work and rise up to the challenge.
This is the kind of stress that some — like me, find motivating… People who “thrive under pressure” and “in rapidly changing environments” are likely also motivated by challenge stress.
👋 So what does this mean for leaders, how do you strike the balance between toxic stress & motivating stress… and how do you bring joy into the equation?
Turns out the major difference between these two types of stresses is control — when people don’t feel like they’re in control of what’s happening around them and to them, stress overwhelms them.
So what can we as leaders do for our people when it comes to stress…
1 | Reduce hindrance stressors
By checking in on the work culture you’ve created and are actively promoting — whether you realize it or not, through your actions, you’re always promoting a culture and norms to your team.
“Your team is like a mirror, reflecting back at you and your leadership.” — Aura Telman
So… how does your team reflect your leadership?
The best way to create a healthy work environment is clarity — I want you to think of this simple yet powerful word…
Ask yourself:
- Do people here have clarity on what they’re supposed to achieve, and how to get there?
- Do I communicate my vision and my expectations clearly?
- Do we have a culture of accountability here — where people not only know their roles & how to contribute — but how their contributions help the company?
Finally… 🔑 Am I being clear with myself — do I know what I want, what my vision is and what my WHY is.
2 | Focus on fulfillment and personal growth simultaneously
How can you provide your people with more opportunities for challenge stress, the kind of stress where they have to take big leaps and grow to meet the challenge?
Fulfillment & growth at work can be provided through:
- Mentorship programs
- On the job training
- Education
- Cross departmental or project work
- Setting long-term vision focused goals
A question I like to ask people is “What vision do you have for yourself for the next 3 years?”
3 | Incorporate joy and celebration 🎉
Into every nook and cranny of your culture. Achievements are great, it’s why we put strategies in place to engagement and motivate people… but do we take the time to celebrate them?
I find that we often move through our work from one project to the next… from one task to the next… not often stopping to celebrate what we’re accomplishing.
In fact, when was the last time you celebrated yourself for doing something awesome at work?
Not something big… but anything you’ve accomplished in the last month?
Celebrating moments together move us forward, motivate us intrinsically to strive for more, and build community. Do happiness and celebration play a role in your engagement or performance strategy?
So there you have it... Stress can be motivating or demotivating & as leaders we have control over which kind our people experience more of… So what will you do with this awesome super power?
