You know the situation - you're feeling positive and go into a meeting with someone who is obviously stressed. This stress impacts not just one person, but everyone in the room. It disrupts the flow of the meeting and the eventual outcome. As you make your way to another meeting you carry some of that stress with you. It spills over to others in the organization.



What we do know is that stress is on the increase. An American Management Study found that 44% of people report losing one hour or more per day in productivity due to stress. Another 37% report losing 15-30 minutes per day in productivity due to stress. Look around the people you are working with. Those numbers indicate stress is affecting more than 80% of the workforce!*

Employees continue to be asked to do more with less. When members of the organization leave, they are often not replaced immediately, and in some cases not at all. This means an additional workload for the rest of the team.

The impact of this reality extends past the workplace. Employees get in their cars and sit in traffic. Many cannot transition to their home lives. The problem is that stress isn't left at work; it follows them home.

What is the solution? Creating greater balance [between something and stress?] with stress is a common goal of coaching. Clients often identify stress as one of their top issues; in fact it is often a driving factor that brings clients to a coach.

Here are five key steps to better manage stress:

1. Identify the source. If you can define what causes you stress, you can examine the source. This can help you pre-empt it the next time it happens.

2. Decide if the stress is real or anticipated. Real stress can be dealt with in the moment; anticipated stress is living in the future. Leave the future just where it is... in the future. Stay in the moment.

3. Choose your perspective. Just how bad is this stressor? Consider the source and ask yourself if you are seeing this realistically or through a fogged, biased or anticipatory lens. Is there another view you can take of this situation? You have a choice in the perspective you choose.

4. Remember that how you respond to the person and/or situation will set the tone for further interactions and stress levels! Choose your approach and response.

5. Use your support network. Use family, friends and your coach to help monitor and deal with stress.

About Anne Rose:

Anne's areas of expertise include Customer Service, Communications and Leadership. Key programs include Customer Service Communications for Front Line Staff and Leaders, Communications, Conflict Resolution and Process Mapping.

Anne has been a faculty member for Canadian Management Centre since 1990 years, leading public programs, in-house customized programs and providing coaching services. She runs CMC's Customer Service public and on site programs, as well as Communications and Quality programs in-house.

Anne works with people to improve work performance, create authentic communication and increase professional and personal satisfaction.