Work-related stress usually is caused by a culmination of many factors like work pressure, toxic coworkers, inefficient leadership or lack of recognition, etc. If not intervened, the employee will feel disengaged, productivity will suffer and the physical, as well as the mental health of employees, will also be affected.
Whatever be the reason for demotivation or stress among team members, a manager has to always play the central role in helping his team fight stress and stay aligned to goals while being happy and balanced in their life.
As a manager, even if you feel that you cannot really control the factors causing stress to your team, still you can adapt practical approaches that will help your team reduce the stress for themselves. These 4 tips can help you in saving your team from burnout and stress.
1. Develop a positive subculture
There is a possibility that the dominant culture of your organization is toxic at the moment. Then, as a leader, you can make a difference by creating a positive subculture within your team. A subculture is developed when a group within an organization has its own values, traditions, and ways of celebrating things. This is a great way of encountering your organizational dysfunction and building a desirable culture within your team.
Let’s say the core culture of your organization is not based on appreciation and recognition for employees. But you can do that for your team members on a personal level. You can create that kind of value system in your team. You can do this by simple gestures like saying thank you, sending an encouraging voice message, or wishing events like birthdays and anniversaries.
A leader can impact the morale and productivity of an employee irrespective of the company you work for or the company culture you are a part of. Every interaction you have with your team contributes to establishing a subculture for your team.
2. Strengthen the common vision
Team leaders should be capable of making their team hold onto the bigger purpose whatever be the circumstances. A good manager makes his team feel useful. He tells his team over and again how their contribution is important and how every single effort of theirs is instrumental in defining success for the company.
Inculcating this sense of a common objective and vision will help team members develop a sense of purpose. So that, they can look past the trivial everyday disturbances and focus on the larger purpose. On the other hand, if there is no such sense of purpose and the exposure to grow for teammates, everyday nagging and toxicity lead to a very destructive and chaotic mental state for employees which kill their motivation and engagement.
3. Take a stand for your team
Good managers or leaders never step back from standing up for their team in difficult hours. Even when your team or teammate is going through a difficult situation, they should know that you have their backs. When your team knows that come what may be, they will always have your rightful support, they will feel connected and would want to stay part of the team for a longer time.
A true team leader believes in helping other people grow and he acts as the strongest support system for a team. You, as a leader, can do that by making sure that every effort made by your employees or teammates is acknowledged and recognized. Also, understanding the needs and ensuring that your team gets all the resources they need is another way of extending support for your team.
Loyalty and trust are built this way and the morale of your team stays up even in the hours of crisis. So here comes the time to introspect – ask yourself truly what kind of leader you are? Are you ready to go deep in the trenches with your team or you just act as an onlooker from the distance who is only bothered about his own work?
4. Equip them with the right resources
Sometimes managers fail to keep their teams motivated because they can hardly understand the pain points of their teams. Sometimes the disorganization in the work environment, lack of clarity in the processes and miscommunication might lead to blame game, team conflicts, etc. which hampers productivity and affects employee morale.
Good managers try to understand the requirements of their teams in every way possible and try to streamline the processes of the team. Technological solutions can act as the best friends of a manager in organizing the tasks of their teams.
While there are a number of software solutions that can make the work of a manager easy, a project management software can act as an all-in-one solution. With project management software like ProofHub there is no need to get different tools for different purposes like task management, time tracking, planning, communication or collaboration, etc. Teams can carry all these tasks at one central place and establish a clear flow of work across the organization.
Conclusion
Worklife of your team can never be just smooth. They will always come across obstacles or problems — be it due to professional, personal, environmental or even technological constraints. But, a manager or leader holds the team together through all such situations so that pressure does not mount and the progress is not hindered. To prevent extra stress in case something goes wrong, use only the best online backup software, such as you can learn more about at YummySoftware, to keep your hard work saved and stored efficiently.
I hope that reading through this post has helped you understand how you can make a difference as a manager. Do let us know if you find this read helpful.