Once you start working you will undoubtedly have stressful moments. Some jobs are more stressful than others. Most of us learn how to deal with it others lose their minds
One of the biggest mistake people make is confusing: “This MUST get done” with “I MUST DO IT”.
The company/manager isn’t concerned with ‘how’ a MUST DO gets accomplished; only that it gets accomplished. By working with your manager and team to figure out the most effective way to accomplish something reduces stress. But most employees, when given a task, assume that the boss is telling them that they need to do it. But the manager is really saying, “our department needs to accomplish this” and he is trying to figure out how his staff/team can do it.
Some successful techniques to reduce stress at work:
1) Be transparent with your manager and team on your progress and challenges.
Most new employees feel it’s a sign of weakness to show they are having trouble with something or are not making progress on something. Remember that the team goal is to have it accomplished — not that you have to do it on your own.
2) Live, eat and sleep the Change Management Process.
The only thing that is constant is change — therefore create procedures that effectively handles changes. Anytime a new task or assignment comes in, work with your manager to compare it’s priority against everything else on your plate. Discuss which item gets delayed, diminished, deleted or delegated to someone else (the 4 D’s). Managers typically don’t remember everything that you have been assigned.
3) Take YOU out of the equation.
Take your ego out of the equation. How would you get this task accomplished without YOU. This often opens your thinking to alternative resources and solutions. For instance, someone else may have done something similar; someone else may be equally qualified to do this; it may not really be a MUST DO; maybe the task can be split or descoped, etc.
If something is really a MUST DO — it will get done. If you are transparent with you manager and tell them that you can not handle this MUST DO task while still completing your other tasks (on time and with quality); you manager can and will handle the situation. If you keep your situation to yourself (for fear of looking bad), you are tying your manager’s hands and creating stress for everyone (which will absolutely make you look bad).
In my GoTo Academy: Soft Skill Tools for the GoTo Professional continuous online coaching series, I go into office etiquette on various real-world IT topics in detail.
If you are interested in more training in these areas, please sign-up for the continuing online coaching series.
If you are interested in more training in these areas, please sign-up for the continuing online coaching series.