When you take up a management position, it affects how well your team performs. You need an extensive and polished skill set to help your team members realise their collective and individual objectives.
A huge part of doing this effectively is being a reliable source of support for your team. Inevitably, in any workplace, there will be periods of time when things get extra busy or stressful — it is your job as a manager to help your team through this as seamlessly as possible. There are many ways you can do this.
Identify the Signs of Overwork and Stress
Identifying signs of too much work and stress within your team is very important in maintaining a healthy working environment and ensuring productivity. Burnout and stress symptoms can be identified in various ways such as increased absenteeism, frequent errors, irascibility, and a noticeable decline in interest and involvement. Workers might also display some physical signs like tiredness, headaches or just feeling weak and rundown overall.
The consequences of an overworked and stressed team not only affect an individual’s performance but may also hinder team-building activities, thus reducing overall productivity levels. In addition to this, low morale can set in when staff members become overwhelmed by tasks and feel unappreciated, thereby creating an environment full of negativity towards work.
When you identify these signs in your team, you should intervene promptly to reduce the impact. You can do this by frequently communicating with your employees, offering assistance where needed, and ensuring there are relevant support systems designed for handling stress among employees.
Allow Flexible Work Arrangements
Giving your employees flexible working hours and allowing them to work remotely can be very beneficial in relieving pressure in the workplace. This strategy can result in more job contentment, better productivity, and improved work-life balance.
In a survey conducted by Gartner Digital Worker Experience in 2021, 43% of people who had flexible schedules at work reported that they experienced less stress and achieved more productivity by engaging more in what they do. For instance, remote work options and flexible hours have been very successful among many tech companies such as Google and Microsoft leading to higher staff retention rates and overall satisfaction levels with the job itself.
If you want to introduce flexibility into your workplace, begin by evaluating what your team wants or needs from it. Clearly communicate expectations around remote working supported by the necessary technology already set up. Review regularly and adjust policy so that it aligns with business goals and employee requirements over time.
Outsource Specific Tasks
Outsourcing specific tasks is a very effective strategy to reduce pressure when your staff has an overwhelming workload during busy periods. By outsourcing non-core functions to external experts, your team can deal with more important and high-impact tasks that need to be done in-house. This not only increases efficiency but also brings in knowledge that may not be available internally.
There are many tasks that can be outsourced like administrative work, customer service, or IT support. For example, data entry jobs, payroll processing services and tech support are common time-saving activities which can be done by other people on behalf of your staff. Marketing and creative services is another area that you can outsource, for instance, you can hire white label link building services to help with your digital marketing endeavours.
Reward Hard Work
To continue having motivated and productive employees, it is vital to recognize their efforts. This recognition can either be monetary or non-monetary. Financial rewards include salary increments and bonuses while non-financial rewards include public appreciation, extra days off work, and career advancement opportunities. These incentives greatly influence employee motivation and productivity. When an individual feels valued within an organisation, they become more involved in the job therefore resulting in higher performance levels, benefiting all parties involved.
Encourage Open Communication
It is crucial to have open communication in the workplace. This is because it builds trust between employees and creates an environment where thoughts and opinions can be expressed freely. As a leader, you should be approachable, amicable, and willing to listen actively to your team members. You can encourage open communication through regular check-ins, team meetings, and anonymous feedback channels. With such methods in place, staff members will have more than one platform through which they can share their views or express themselves. You can also use collaboration platforms so that dialogue continues on an ongoing basis.
Emphasise a Work-Life Balance
According to statistics, 52% of Australian employees find it hard to balance their work and personal life. This involves more than simply having a yoga session every week. It is about identifying realistic methods for managing professional duties and your private life effectively. Emphasising a healthy work-life balance accounts for a significant factor in employee welfare and general productivity. Balancing between work and personal life helps prevent burnout, reduces stress and enhances job satisfaction. Often, employees who can manage both their professional and personal lives are more involved with their jobs than those who cannot.
You can ensure that employees balance between work and life by introducing scheduled breaks, flexible working hours, and promoting the usage of leave days. Encourage setting limits between work and personal life along with providing tools for managing time and reducing stress. An example of successful initiatives towards achieving work-life balance is the REA Group in Australia which provides flexible working arrangements and wellness programs.
Managing a team and taking off some pressure during busy periods is an active role that requires various strategies. These include identifying stress and overload, reducing workload through outsourcing, rewarding hard work through incentives, and encouraging open communication. It may also mean putting more emphasis on work-life balance and providing stress management resources for your employees’ welfare. By putting these strategies into practice, you will create a supportive and conducive environment where employees can perform well, even under pressure.
Parnas Ghosh
