Stress is the most common single reason for staff absenteeism. It costs millions every year in lost man hours and production. Every Manager has a responsibility to ensure the well being of their team. All too often managers are themselves between a rock and a hard place and as a result pass the pressure down the line to their staff. The result may be a win in the short term as everyone rushes around to meet deadlines but in the longer term it leads to burn out and disaffection.

There is much you can do within your organization to avoid overwhelm. The principles which work for the individual also work at organisational level. Break down tasks into small milestones which once achieved will offer a sense of completion and satisfaction to those involved. Celebrate success, including the small achievements. I'm not suggesting a happy clappy "isn't everything wonderful, aren't we clever" approach. Much more that there is a moment to take breath and recognise a job well done.

Overwhelm is prevalent where communication is poor and subordinates feel that they do not know what is happening. It is made worse if decisions are reversed on a frequent basis. Consider your decision making process and the way you communicate it to staff. Do you involve your staff in the decision making process? If so how? How effective is the communication in your organization? How do you know? How often do you ask your staff what they think might be improved and how? Involving your staff in an audit and makeover of your communication and decision making process has a number of benefits. These include a better system which suits the needs of your company and a workforce who feel valued, involved and informed. There is the potential to save expensive time and avoid mistakes as expertise and knowledge is shared.

Overwhelm is created when staff are either being asked to undertake duties without adequate training and support. Throwing people in the deep end works for a few but the majority of people become anxious and feel deskilled. Overwhelm is also common if people are given work to do which they find boring and completely lacking in challenge. The thought of each hour passing in total tedium creates depression and a complete lack of motivation. The boring jobs do need to be done but it is possible to create flexibility in the way they are tackled, or intersperse the job with other activities. Ensuring that those who need variety and challenge are matched with the right roles is also important.

Creating effective strategies to make the best use of time as individuals and as a department or whole organization makes economic sense. Does your organization manage technology, paper, meetings and communication effectively? Do you have protocols in place to minimise waste? If not consider how much time is being wasted?

With modern technology comes a growing blurring of the boundaries between work and personal time. What is your policy on staff being contacted outside working hours? If your staff find that emails, phone calls etc are constantly interrupting personal and family time it will have a corrosive effect on their ability to relax, rejuvenate themselves and this will ultimately contribute to stress levels. What is your policy for contacting outside working hours? Do you have a policy? Do you train your staff to manage their workload to minimise the need to interrupt down time?

My experience of working with clients and organisations has shown that overwhelm is worse where people feel they have no control, no one cares or listens and they feel of no value. Managers have a vital role to play here. Giving people a voice and listening to it has huge potential to give everyone a sense of their contribution. Sharing ideas, seeing everyone within the organization as a valued part of the team and acknowledging their contribution makes a fundamental difference to the way people feel and therefore their performance and health.

Creating the culture and working environment which supports healthy working practices is vital if you are to have a motivated, energized and healthy work force. It is well worth the thought and effort a makes economic sense too.

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