Dr Joanne Sujansky: Sujansky Says August 1 2006

* * * IN THE NEWS * * *

If you would like to see more about workplace stress, view this streaming video clip of Dr. Joanne Sujansky talking about "The Overwhelmed Office - Managing Productivity and Stress in the Workplace." The video clip can be accessed by visiting http://www.keygroupconsulting.com/clip6-1.htm.

In addition, Dr. Sujansky was recently interviewed about her favorite place to live, work and, vacation. Her "Pittsburgh Will Steel Your Heart" segment on the KDKA-TV morning show "Pittsburgh Today Live" celebrated Pittsburgh's world-class offerings. The clip is available at http://www.keygroupconsulting.com/clip6-2.htm.

RECOGNIZING THE MANY FACES OF STRESS
A few years ago I was on a consulting assignment to help a company that was struggling with productivity. Productivity was faltering, but the lead manager told me "You won't believe how motivated our workers are. They put in long days. They come in weekends. They even skip breaks and lunch to get the work out! I cant figure out why there are so many mistakes and missed deadlines." But he didn't see what I recognized.

I saw employees like Marty, a senior staffer who was continuously irritable. I saw Julia, a healthy young woman who was beginning to pile up too many "sick" days. I saw Fred, another young employee who rarely took off work, but who couldn't seem to shake a "cold." Then there was Josh, who ate lunch at his desk every day so he could feverishly try to keep up with his workload.

Their manager could see the obvious . . . missed deadlines, poor work quality, mistakes and unmet goals. What he couldn't see was the sinking morale, growing frustration, and physical symptoms of a stress-filled workplace. He needed much more than help with performance management. What he needed was an "extreme office makeover" to help employees focus on the right way to do things while building a healthier worklife balance for greater resiliency and production.

"Man should not try to avoid stress any more than he would shun food, love or exercise." -- Dr. Hans Selye

AN EPIDEMIC OF STRESS
Media reports of stressed workers seem to be exploding. I'm not just talking about those random incidents of workplace violence. Those are awful enough, but what's truly disheartening is how widespread the signs of stress are becoming:

WorldWit, an online network of professional women, reports that about 80 percent of its 40,000 members surveyed said workplace profanity, driven by stress, had skyrocketed over the last five years.
According to Northwestern National Life three-fourths of employees believe workers today have more on-the-job stress than a generation ago and Princeton Survey Research Associates said recently that one-fourth of employees view their jobs as the number one stressor in their lives.
Kelly Services recently reported surveys in which 11.7 percent of American workers described their jobs as "extremely stressful." However, 27.1% of European workers described their jobs as "too stressful."

OUR OWN SURVEY BEARS OUT THE THREAT FROM JOB-RELATED STRESS
We found that one in five workers experienced "unnecessary stress," the same ratio that also tell us they are looking to change jobs for greater work-life balance. The costs of job stress are evident: illness, absenteeism, employee turnover, mistakes, rework, missed deadlines, and poor customer service. We simply can't afford to ignore the issue of job-related stress. To read more about our survey, visit http://www.keygroupconsulting.com/articles/issueheatsup.htm.

"Reality is the leading cause of stress amongst those in touch with it" -- Lily Tomlin

GOOD STRESS VERSUS BAD STRESS
Truth be told, a completely stress-free workplace wouldn't motivate many of us to jump out of bed in the morning. People need the "stress" of new challenges. We need the clash of conflicting ideas to make the best decisions. We need the spark of goals and the press of deadlines to drive accomplishments! So how can you know whether your workplace stress is good or bad? It's largely a matter of culture.

If your workplace nurtures creativity and fosters a sense of ownership among employees, then you most likely enjoy the right kind of stress. Even in a face-paced, highly competitive business climate it's possible to cultivate a high-productivity, low-stress workplace. I call this type of company a Vibrant Entrepreneurial Organization (VEO) and it's one of the major focuses of our consulting practice. To find out more about creating a VEO at your workplace, visit http://www.keygroupconsulting.com/growingyourveo.htm. In addition we have a number of books and eBooks on the subject with practical, real-world ideas to help turn your workplace stresses into opportunities for growth. For information on our line of VEO books, visit http://www.keygroupconsulting.com/veoproducts.htm. And remember, a little stress is a good thing!