Managing

Personal Stress
Kamal Uddin Ahmed Ph.D.

NSU MBA HRM 631 Spring17 Friday, 24 February17

S T R E S S
Improving the Management of
Stress and Time
One of the most crucial, yet neglected
management skills in a competent
managers repertoire.
Huge amount of money is being siphoned
off from the national economy every year
due to the growing problem of stress on the
job.
Almost half of the adult population suffers
adverse health effects due to stress;
the percentage of workers feeling highly
stressed is on an increasing trend.
Health implications of stress (wide
ranging and devastating effects)
Stress and the cardiovascular system
Stress and the respiratory system
Stress and the endocrine system
Stress and the gastrointestinal tract
Stress and the female reproductive system
Stress and reproductive hormones
Stress and male reproductive functioning
Stress and immunodepression
Stress and neurological disorders
Stress and addiction
Stress and malignancy
Stress and immune functions with HIV-1
Stress and Dental pathology
Stress and Pain
Stress and anxiety disorders
Personal consequences can range
from
Inability to concentrate
Anxiety
Depression
Stomach disorders
Low resistance to illness
Heart disease
For organizations consequences
range from

Absenteeism
Job dissatisfaction
High accident
High turnover rates
Survey reports
A 25-year study of employee surveys
revealed that incompetent management is
the largest cause of workplace stress.
Three out of four surveys listed employee
relationships with immediate supervisors
as the worst aspect of the job.
Stress not only affects workers negatively,
but it also produces less visible
consequences for managers themselves.
When managers experience stress, they tend to

Selectively perceive information and see only that

which confirms their previous biases.
Become very intolerant of ambiguity and demand
the right answers
Fixate on a single approach to a problem
Overestimate how fast time is passing (so, they
often feel rushed)
Adopt a short term perspective or crisis mentality
and cease to consider long-term implications
Have less ability to make fine distinctions in
problems, so that complexity and nuances are
missed
Consult and listen to others less
Rely on old habits to cope with current situations
Have less ability to generate creative thoughts and
unique solutions to problems
Stress drastically impedes
effective management
behaviors such as

listening
making good decisions
solving problems effectively
planning and
generating new ideas.
Model of Force Field Analysis
Current level of functioning

Driving force A Restraining force A

Driving force B Restraining force B

Driving force C Restraining force C

Driving force D Restraining force D

Stages of reactions

an alarm stage-a feeling of shock or confusion may

result if the stressor is particular acute
a resistance stage : defense mechanisms
aggression
regression
repression
withdrawal
fixation
an exhaustion stage -may result pathological
consequences. Example- heart attack or
brain hamarage
Coping with Stress
enactive strategies- how to eliminating and
minimizing stress level.
proactive strategies- how an individual handle
overall stress by increasing their personal
resiliency ( )
reactive strategies- short term technique for
coping with stressors is necessary
4 main types of stressors
Time stressors
Work overload
Lack of control
Encounter stressors(those that from interpersonal interactions)
Role conflicts: in which roles performed by group members are
incompatible)
Issue conflicts: in which disagreement exists over how to define or
solve problem
Action conflicts: in which individuals fail to get along well because of
mutual antagonism
Situational stressors
Unfavorable working condition
Rapid change
Anticipatory stressors (future prediction stress )
Unpleasant expectations (people fear that they will loose their job)
Fear
 Management Strategies for Eliminating
Stressors

Type of Stressor Elimination Strategy

Time Effective time management
Efficient time management
Delegating

Encounter Collaboration and team building

Emotional intelligence

Situational Work redesign

Anticipatory Goal setting

Small wins
Effective time management
Basis for judging the importance of activities
(aligning time use with core personal principles)

What do I stand for ? What am I willing to die (or live for) ?

What do I care passionately about ?
What legacy would I like to leave ? What do I want to be
remembered for ?
What do I want to have accomplished 5 years from now ?
If I could persuade everyone in the world to follow the
basic principles, what would they be ?

Answering these questions can help one to create a

personal principles statement. Personal principles
statement is an articulation of the criteria you use for
evaluating what is important.
Efficient time management : Rules for all
(Accomplishing more by reducing wasted time)

1. Read selectively.
2. Make a list of things to accomplish today
3. Have a place for everything and keep everything in its
place.
4. Prioritize your tasks
5. Do one important thing at a time but several trivial
things simultaneously
6. Make a list of some 5 or 10 minutes discretionary
tasks
7. Divide up large projects
8. Determine the critical 20 percent of your tasks
9. Save your best time for important matters
10. Reserve some time during the day when others dont
have access to you
11 Dont procrastinate
12 Keep track of your time
13 Set deadlines
14 Do something productive while waiting
15 Do busy work at one set time during the day
16 Reach closure on at least one thing everyday
17 Schedule some personal time
18 Dont worry about anything on a continuous
basis
19 Write down long time objectives
20 Be on the alert for ways to improve your
management of time
Efficient time management :
Rules for Managers
1. Hold routine meetings at the end of the day
2. Hold short meetings standing up
3. Set a time limit
4. Cancel meetings once in a while
5. Have agendas, stick to them and keep track of
time
6. Start meetings on time
7. Prepare minutes of the meeting and follow up
8. Insist that subordinates suggest solutions to
problems
9. Meet visitors in the doorway
10 Go to subordinates offices for brief
meetings
11 Dont overschedule the day
12 Have someone else answer telephone
calls and scan emails.
13 Have a place to work uninterrupted
14 Do something definite with every piece of
paperwork handled
15 Keep the work place clean
16 Delegate work,
17 Identify the amount of initiative recipients
should take with the tasks they are
assigned. Give others credit for their
success.
Eliminating encounter stressors through
collaboration and emotional intelligence

Collaboration : one important factor that helps eliminate

encounter stress is membership in a stable, closely knit
group or community. When people feel like part of a group,
or accepted by someone else, stress is relieved

Emotional Intelligence : Develop own emotional

intelligence as a strategy to eliminate Encounter stress.
Emotional intelligence is the ability to manage relationships
with others. It has five dimensions

Self knowledge
Self-control
Motivating oneself
Empathy
Interpersonal competence
Eliminating situational stressors
through work redesign
Combine task
Form identifiable work units
Establish customer relationships
Increase decision making
authority
Open feedback channels
Eliminating anticipatory stressors through
prioritizing, goal setting and small wins

Prioritizing : Identifying what is to be

accomplished in the long term, what cannot
be compromised or sacrificed, and what
lasting legacy one desires.
Goal setting establishing short term plans
helps eliminate anticipatory stressors by
focusing attention on immediate goal
accomplishment instead of fearful future.
Small wins : a tiny but definite change
made in a desired direction
 A model for short term planning and goal
setting

1
Establish a goal

2
4 Specify actions
Identify criterion of and behavioral
success and a reward requirements

3
Generate
accountability and
reporting mechanisms
Developing Resiliency
Resiliency : Moderating the Effects of Stress
Physiological Psychological Social Resiliency
Resiliency Resiliency
Cardiovascular Balanced lifestyle Supportive social relations
conditioning

Proper diet Hardy personality Mentors

High internal control Teamwork

- Strong personal
commitment
- Love of challenge

Small-wins strategy
Deep relaxation techniques
Dietary control
Eat a variety of foods
Maintain optimal weight
Reduce fat intake
Eat more whole foods
Reduce sugar intake
Reduce sodium intake
Avoid alcohol
Restrict caffeine intake
Take vitamin and mineral supplements
Make eating a relaxing time
THANKS

WISH YOU HAVE

A PEACEFUL LIFE