Stress Is About Coping - or Not: Spring 2010

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Spring 2010

CONTENTS
1.1
STRESS ISSUE
Stress is about coping - or not.

2.1
VIEWING THE WORLD THROUGH STRESS-TINTED
GLASSES
Stress is bound up with the perception of our ability to cope.

3.1
MANAGE YOUR TIME
Time management is not just about knowing what to do, but getting yourself
to do it.

4.1
MAKING A FRIEND OF EMAIL
Before the advent of email the sender bore the burden of letter writing. But
now the reader bears the burden.

Stress is about coping - or not


Our focus on a very topical subject

We probably didn’t need to be told but Grant Thornton have Uniquely Potentia offers a twin-track approach to dealing with
confirmed it for us anyway. Their IBR 2010 survey of 7,400 business stress - by offering practical ideas that may help prevent it happening
owners across 36 economies found that 62% of Irish business owners in the first place; and if it does, offering a range of services and
said that their stress levels had increased from a year ago - placing solutions that can help you dig your way out of it.
Ireland 9th in the world rankings.
So, Potentia’s Luke Brehony offers practical advice, based on
To add insult to injury, the report commented that the stress years of senior management experience in a high-pressure
seemed related to economic growth - business owners in China environment, on how to manage your valuable time in an effective
(Ranked 1), Mexico (2), Turkey (3), and Vietnam (4) “ face expectations and efficient manner.
of high growth and rank equally highly for stress”. But in a throw-
away comment the Grant Thornton source mentioned that low- Luke also takes a look at how, with a little bit of thought,
growth nations such as Ireland and Greece also saw high stress. organisation and planning, you can learn to manage, as opposed to
be controlled by the mails in your in-box.
He elaborated : “ In mainland China the pressure is to keep up
with the pace of expansion, while in Ireland, for example, the John Lahart looks at stress management techniques from the
economy is retracting and business owners are worried about how beginning of time to the present day and suggests that our response
they will keep their business alive.” to stress is often bound up with our perception of our ability to cope
as opposed to our actual ability to cope. “Viewing the world through
Running a business is stressful, and in a recession the potential stress-tinted glasses” can be a little overwhelming, he suggests, and
for increasing levels of stress among management and employees is offers practical help for companies, organisations and individuals.
significant.
So if stress management and prevention are real issues for you or
That’s why we have devoted our Potentia Spring Newsletter to your organisation, contact us to assist you with practical solutions
the issue of stress. We’ve included material that is intended to inform designed to help you build towards a less stressful workplace
and assist you in practical ways. environment. Contact us at info@potentia.ie
Viewing the world through stress-tinted glasses
Stress is bound up with the perception of our ability to cope

Flogging and Dancing “Stress occurs when pressure exceeds stress in the workplace that is often
In terms of our understanding of how to your perceived ability to cope.” (How to deal unrelated to the workplace. It may have its
deal with stress we’ve travelled a long way with Stress; Palmer & Cooper) roots closer to home and the personal
from the time when incantations, situation and life of the client. Stress arising
bloodletting, dances and even floggings The importance of perception from personal problems can very often
were used to expel demons and evil spirits. We cannot discuss stress without manifest itself in pretty well any facet of our
These were the primitive precursors of anti- talking about coping. It is our awareness of life, including work. I have clients whose
depressants, reiki, aromatherapy, yoga and failing to cope adequately that rings alarm leisure and spor ting pursuits were
counselling in dealing with the stresses and bells in us that perhaps we are suffering detrimentally affected until they took steps
strains of life. from stress, when things that we might to identify and manage their stress. I believe
normally cope with are beginning to fundamentally that if the individual can
Withstanding heavy loads overwhelm us. change their perception of the stressful
In more primitive times stress was seen Perception is important when dealing situation and their perception of how they
as an imposter that was in need of repelling. with stress because ver y often our can cope with it then they can influence the
Even towards the end of the 17th century perception of our own ability to cope may ways they think and behave in stressful
the engineer Hooke heavily influenced the not match our actual ability to cope - once situations” he says.
contemporary understanding of stress with we’ve been shown that we possess the
his preoccupation with how man-made necessary tools. “There is no good or bad thing
structures could withstand heavy loads Left unattended, stress can lead to except thinking makes it so”
without collapsing. (Stress a Brief History; burnout, depression and exhaustion. William Shakespeare
Cooper & Dewe). Human stress was viewed
in much the same general way, identified Stress John Lahart continues “How we think
principally with coping with the strain of Stress cannot be diagnosed and behave in the face of stress is well
life’s wear-and-tear, until breaking point was symptomatically like, say, the measles or the formed by the time we are adults, and many
reached. ‘flu. Its symptoms can vary from person to of us have developed unconscious
person. For one person stress may manifest behaviours and thinking processes that
20th century itself in terms of fatigue and irritation, for simply don’t help us when the going gets
It is only in the twentieth century and another it may be comfort-eating or tough. This can be addressed through
particularly in the last forty years or so that a catastrophising previously perceived minor cognitive behavioural techniques in group
more developed understanding of stress has incidents into end-of-the-world scenarios. or individual settings. A lot of work I do with
emerged. We now have a more holistic idea clients involves helping them to re-view
of stress, its causes and treatments. Potentia and stress their problem or crisis. Often there isn’t as
And yet one person’s “stress” can be a John Lahart, professional much evidence as the client thinks for their
mere “challenge” for another. In the modern psychotherapist and founder of Potentia perception of the stressful situation.
world we regularly find ourselves “under believes in the general maxim that many Reviewing often allows the client begin to
pressure’ , but when does that pressure business problems are personal problems. perceive the stress as manageable and to
become stress ? “Many clients I see are experiencing develop a clear path ahead.”
Time management
Time management is not just about knowing what to do, but getting yourself to do it !

“Life is a never-ending stream of possible valuable time when dealing with low priority It is a good practice to break
activities, constantly being replenished by your tasks. complex activities into manageable chunks. It
family, your boss, your subordinates as well as Focus most of your energy on the is also better to focus on one task to
your own dreams, hopes and desires, and by the high priority tasks. Doing everything equally completion rather than jumping from one
need to stay alive and functioning.” well is not a good practice to cultivate. thing to another.

When Alan Lakein opened his Control starts with planning. The Your “To Do” list is the roadmap for
ground-breaking book “How to get control of Annual Budget will provide a roadmap for the your day. Have it in clear view on your desk as
your Time and your Life” with this line in 12 months ahead. This document will scope a constant reminder that you are on a mission.
1973 he would have had no idea of the out in broad brush-stroke the key outcomes Mark off your progress with a big red flourish.
technological developments to come which you must deliver on. Use the list to remind yourself to fend off
would significantly add to this stream. We uninvited interruptions. Manage phone calls
now live in an instant and demanding world Reflecting global objectives from the outset. Get an overview of the issue
of smart-phones which tether us to our in your day-to-day activities and make an immediate decision as to your
customers and employers 24 hours a day. response - I’ll deal with it now or I’ll call you
Phone-calls, E-Mails, SMS, Twitter, Blogs - back or pass it on to John. The same with
Daily planning is based around
they all call for our attention as we struggle to emails - open it, read it and deal with it. As a
integrating these global objectives into your
organise our day. strategy it doesn’t always work but if you can
day-to-day activities. Activities that are
develop this approach as an automatic habit
fundamental to delivering on your global
Control your time to create it will make a difference.
objectives become A-list activities on your
maximum personal effectiveness daily To-Do list. Activities that are not so
and efficiency important become B-list activities and low
value activities become C-list activities.
Yet the underlying priorities remain Depending on the size of the A-list an internal
the same. As Managers we are paid to create ranking may be useful. Don’t bother doing
value for our employers through our activities. that with the B-list and C-list - if the tasks
Effective Time Management practices allow us deserve such attention they should be on the
to utilise our time to create maximum A-list.
personal effectiveness and efficiency. It allows
us to achieve control over our activities and to Remember this is your prioritisation
manage in a proactive rather than reactive of your activities reflecting your vision of how
style. By addressing problems as they arise you and your department can add the most
we can complete important tasks on time and value to the enterprise. Learn to say “no!”.
avoid wasting time on unimportant ones.
It is also useful to consider talking to
Recognising that some tasks are better left Open yourself to the
people rather than sending emails. Even the
undone., the key is to identify the Right moment and live in the now simplest email requires some thought and re-
Things to do and getting yourself to do it.
working. Decisions also tend to be made
Everyone works better at certain more quickly in a face-to-face environment
Knowing the right things to do times of the day. This Prime Time should be where clarification can be sought and given
presumes a defined strategic vision and the used to deal with difficult tasks - the one you on the spot. ( See article Page 4 ).
identification and communication of shared want to put off and re-enter on your To Do list
goals and objectives. (See Potentia’s January tomorrow. Procrastination is the thief of time. At the end of each day review your
Newsletter on Leadership.) This should allow Develop a habit of starting off with something completion rate. Did you set yourself a
you to clarify priorities and produce a list of you don’t want to do then reward yourself realistic number of objectives ? Did you give
quality objectives - objectives which work to with a walk to the canteen for a coffee or a yourself enough time to complete the
bring you closer to your strategic vision. The quick read of the paper. You have to learn to objectives ? Did you build in some free time
80 : 20 rule applies - 20% of your activity will do your best with today. Open yourself to the for the unexpected ? Tomorrow is another
generate 80% of your results. Be discerning ! moment and live in the now. Like all habits it day and another opportunity to move
Remember too that perfection is a waste of takes time and repetition to ingrain. forward.
Making a friend of email
Before the advent of email the sender bore the burden of letter writing - finding paper and envelope,
writing, stamping, and posting the letter to the right address. Now the reader bears the burden.

While few businesses could Too many messages are forwarded on • Make action requests clear
contemplate a future without it, most with an answer like “Yes - I agree ! “ floating If you want things done, say so - clearly.
employees resent email as a source of stress on its own without offering any context. The There is nothing more frustrating than being
and distraction. reader may have to scroll down 5 or 6 copied on an email to find two weeks later that
As most email traffic is internally messages to get to the point. “ Yes - I agree you were expected to lead the project.
generated a significant initiative of taming that we should remain closed for Christmas “
email is to agree an internal policy which is much more helpful. • Make your email one page or less.
can maximise productivity and efficiency. Very few people read past the first screen.
• When you copy lots of people (do Make sure all the important points are there -
A Harvard Business Review article by you really need to ?) mark out why each unless you are doing it on purpose !
Stever Robbins points out some less person should care.
obvious approaches : So rather than CC : John Mary, Harry • Think before you send
and Paul, be specific at the beginning of the A face-to-face meeting can be quicker and
• Use the Subject Line to summarise, message. easier and tends to reach resolution quicker. Is
not describe. email the best way to deal with this issue ?
People scan their In-box by Subject. To : Wendy
Make sure there is enough information in CC : John, Mary, Harry • Answer briefly
the Subject Line so that readers can decide if Subject : Operation Have a Go Encourage brief, concise emails by leading
it is relevant. Ignoring some emails entirely by example.
is the first step to maximising efficiency. If it’s John : Work on Sales Plan
really important it will come round again. So Mary : Watch Marketing forecast • Read and answer emails at specific
rather than just “Discussion Points” say Harry : Review OpEx times of the day
“Discussion Points for next week’s Board Minimise interruptions by dealing with
Meeting” which clearly indicates the • Use separate messages for separate emails on your terms. Allocate certain times of
purpose of the message. issues the day to visit your Inbox that suit you. You
Filing, forwarding, responding and may also think of delaying responses to
actioning is complicated hugely if topics are cultivate a level of patience among your
• Give the reader the full context at the mixed into one message. Think about your colleagues.
start of your message. reader !

Potentia offers a Management Consultancy Service rooted in a wealth of


senior business management experience and professional counselling psychology. Potentia Potentia
Riversdale House 31 Lower Leeson St.
To Employees we offer a range of services from Counselling and Stress Rathfarnham Dublin 2
Management to Professional and Personal Development and Employee Assistance Dublin 16
Programmes (EAP) to help you to be the best you can be.
Web : www.potentia.ie
For Managers Potentia can help you manage and deliver change Email : info@potentia.ie
efficiently, effectively and on-schedule, while respecting and recognising the
integrity of your individual employees.

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