Chapter 29

JOB STRESS, COUNSELLING AND MENTORING

EXCEL BOOKS29-1

29

Chapter

ANNOTATED OUTLINE

29-2

INTRODUCTION Stress may be understood as a state of tension experienced by

individuals facing extraordinary demands, constraints or opportunities.

Stress is the spice of life and there is way to avoid it totally. A certain

minimum level of stress, in fact, may help executives to stretch their

capabilities fully. This is where psychologists draw the line between

constructive stress and destructive stress.

Eustress: this is positive stress that accompanies achievement and exhilaration

Distress: this is harmful stress, characterised by a loss of feelings of security and adequacy.

An optimum level of stress, as research evidence indicates, is needed to spur people to peak performance.

Job Stress, Counselling And Mentoring

29-3

Two faces of stress


C onstructive stress D estructive stressHigh

Rustout BurnoutL o w

L o w Moderate High

29-4

General Adaptation Syndrome


Hans Selye called the three phases of the defence reaction that a person establishes when stressed as the general adaptation syndrome.

The alarm stage

The reaction stage

The stage of exhaustion

Symptoms of Stress Biological

Psychological

Behavioural

29-5

Sources of Stress

Important sources of stress may be listed thus:

Organisational factors1. Organisational demands

2. Role conflict

Intrasender conflict

Intersender conflict

Interrole conflict

Person-role conflict

3. Role ambiguity

4. Role overload

5. Role underload

6. Interpersonal relationships

7. Ineffective communication

8. Responsibility


29-6

9. Job change10. Climate within a company

Personal factors11. The impact of life change


The Social Readjustment Rating Scale Life event Scale valueDeath of spouse 100Divorce 73Marital separation 65Jail term 63Death of close family member 63Major personal injury or illness 53Marriage 50Fired from work 47Marital reconciliation 45Retirement 45

Sources of Stress

Cont…

29-7

Major change in health of family member 44Pregnancy 40Sex difficulties 39Gain of a new family member 39Business readjustment 39Changes in financial state 38Death of a close friend 37Change to a different line of work 36Change in number of arguments with spouse 35Mortgage over $ 10,000 31Foreclosure of mortgage or loan 30Change in responsibilities at work 29Son or daughter leaving home 29Trouble with in-laws 29Outstanding personal achievement 28Wife begins or stops work 26Begin or end school 26Change in living conditions 25


The Social Readjustment Rating Scale

29-8


Revision of personal habits 24 Trouble with boss 23Change in work hours or conditions 20Change in residence 20Change in schools 20Change in recreation 19Change in church activities 19Change in social activities 18Mortgage or loan less than $ 10,000 17Change in sleeping habits 16Change in number of family get-togethers 15Change in eating habits 15Vacation 13Christmas 12Major violations of the law 11

Source: Rahe. L.O. & Holmes. T.H. Scaling of Life Change: Comparison of direct and indirect methods, Journal of Psychosomanic Research, 1971.

The Social Readjustment Rating Scale

29-9


12. Type A and Type B personalities

Characteristics of type A personality Always moves, walks and eats rapidly

Feels impatient with the pace of things, hurries others, dislikes waiting

Does several things at once

Feels guilty when relaxing

Tries to schedule more and more in less and less time

Uses nervous gestures such as clenched fist, banging hand on table

Does not have time to enjoy life

Sources of Stress

29-10

Characteristics of type B personality


Is not concerned about time

Is patient

Does not brag

Plays for fun, not to win

Relaxes without guilt

Has no pressing deadlines

Is mild mannered

Is never in a hurry

13. Externals vs. Internals and the belief in external locus of control

14. Other reasons.

29-11

Stress reveals itself in a number of ways


Consequences of Stress

Subjective effects: Anxiety, aggression, apathy, boredom, depression, fatigue, frustration, guilt and shame, irritability and bad temper, moodiness, low self-esteem, tension, nervousness, and loneliness.

Behavioural effects: Accident proneness, drug use, emotional outbursts, excessive eating or loss of appetite, excessive drinking and smoking, excitability, impulsive behaviour, impaired speech, nervous laughter, restlessness and trembling.

Cognitive effects: Inability to make decisions and concentrate, frequent forgetfulness, hypersensitivity to criticism and mental blocks

Physiological effects: Increased blood and urine catecholamines and corticosteroids, increased blood glucose levels, increased heart rate and blood pressure, dryness of the mouth, sweating, dilation of the pupils, difficulty in breathing, hot and cold spells, lump in the throat, numbness and tingling in parts of the limbs.

Organisational effects: Absenteeism, poor industrial relations and poor productivity, high accident and labour turnover rates, poor organisational climate, antagonism at work and job dissatisfaction.

(Source: T.Cox, Stress, Baltimore, University Park Press, 1978)

Management of Stress

29-12

Job Stress, Counselling And MentoringJob Stress, Counselling And Mentoring

There are a variety of ways in which individuals cope or deal with stress at work. Broadly speaking, these could be classified into two categories:

Individual coping strategies

Time management

This would require identification of factors that cause wastage of time and finding appropriate solutions to each one of the identified time wasters.

29-13


Time wasters: causes and solutions

T im e w a s te rs C a u s e s S olu tion s

1. Can’t say no Wants to be a nice guy all the time You can’t please everyone all the time. Better toassert you rself

Don’t know how to say no W h en s a y ing ‘no ’ , g iv e re a s o ns , s ug g e s talternatives and solutions. Assert yourself

Fear of saying ‘no’ to the boss Say ‘no’ and explain priorities and agreed actions;if pushed, adapt but explain what you feel will notget done

2. Attempting too Having capabilities which are in Overcome personal insecurities,much demand share your knowledge and skills w ith colleagues

An excessive desire to appear over Control yourself; if others can handle the situationcooperative do not entangle yourselfOver corresponding Do not keep saying yes because of your ‘nice guy’

hang-up.Excessive ambition and need to Stop killing yourself, keep perspective.ach ieve

3. Poor commu- Insufficient feedback Gather and analyse on feedback;Nication have meetings to get feedback from others

Disorganised use of method Don’t be defensive to constructive criticism Don’t just use a method; think which method (letter,phone, conference, etc.) would be the bestAdapt your communication to the needs of others.

Telephone Not able to term inate Define pre-set time limits (I can talkinterruptions conversations for a couple of m inutes.) Pre-handle (before w e

hang up). Be frank and assert that you would liketo end now.

Lack of delegation S e t t im e fo r ta k in g c a l ls . H av e a sc re e n in gmethodology.

No organisation or plan for handling

Unplanned Unclear purpose Set objectives, evaluate alternativestravel Like phone call, letter or conference call.

Poor use of travelling time Take early flights to, late flights out. ’Keep referencediary/folder in hand-baggage, keep it on the top.

Cont…

29-14


Not delegating while you are Define what can be done by othersa w a y. while you are out

Meetings Lack of objectives Don’t meet without a purpose or agendaToo many/too few Only involve those who are needed. Failure to summarise or follow up Identify which areas need meeting and which don’t.

Set time lim its.Always summarise conclusions and takecommitments.

V isitors Expecting subordinates to check Implement ‘quiet hour ’, ‘no meeting hour ’ etc.,unannounced w ith you excessively

Wanting to be informed on every- Be available but on a need assist basis. Stand upthing. when people come in, keep standing.No prioritising or planning of yourown non-availability

Lack of self Lack of standards Set personal standards for all your key areasdiscipline (conditions which will exist when the job is

well done).Lack of setting deadlines. Set deadlines for yourself and for others.Leaving tasks unfinished. Remember people focus on what you inspect,

not expect, including you.Complete tasks once started.

Socialising Desire for change in environment Take breaks where no one is workingThinking it is important for your Control yourselfbusiness .

D is tingu ish be tw een necessary socia lising andneedless socialising

Procrasti- Doing the easy things first and Attack the difficult first, the easy isNation leaving the difficult for later easy. Recognise this as ‘rationalisation’.

“I will work under pressure,” “Just do it”.syndrome.

Personal Fear of forgetting Use a planner. Follow a ‘to do ‘ list.d isorgani- Excessive use of paperwork Don’t try to remember what can bezation Fear of loss of control retrieved.

“I’ syndrome Have systems to provide need based information,do not clutter yourself with all the information andfile.R ecognise that excessive pow er also indicatesindecision, procrastination and insecurity.

Time wasters: causes and solutions

29-15


Physical exercise Meditation and relaxation

Useful Individual Coping Strategies Keep a pet Say your prayers Sing aloud Laughter, the elixir Sleep right Be good at loving Spend time with children Take a walk Make friends Enjoy the idiot box Cultivate interests Dare to dream


29-16


Organisational coping strategies

Role clarity

Supportive climate

Clearer career paths

Company-wide programmes


29-17


Company wide programmes to manage stress

Job enrichment

Employee counselling

Training and development programmes

Establishing autonomous work groups

Establishing variable work schedules

Setting up health clubs and offering health facilities

Service benefits including marriage gifts, birthday bonus, transport subsidy, long service bonus (NIIT for example, offers this to those employees who stay with the company for more than 5 years. Infosys Technologies offers the stock option plan to all employees who remain committed and loyal etc.) family planning gifts, health club memberships, credit cards, housing/car loans etc.

29-18


Burnout

Burnout is the total depletion of physical and mental resources caused by excessive striving to reach an unrealistic work-related goal. The following self-test clearly reflects what executive burnout is

Burnout self-test Are you working more now and enjoying it less? Do you find it more difficult to confide in others? Must you force yourself to do routine things? Are you listless, bored, constantly seeking excitement? Would you rather be somewhere else? Have you lost the joy of sex? Do you drink more than you used to? Do you need a tranquiliser to face the day…..a sleeping pill to get through the

night? Are you resigned about your future? Is your need for a particular crutch increasing? (smoking, nail biting etc.)

29-19


Reducing burnout Identification Prevention Mediation Remediation

Burnout

Checklist of temporary escape techniques

—Spend time reading those books you have been promising yourself you would read.

—Go to the movies.

—Listen to good music.

—Work it off by exercising.

—Avoid striving. Shun the Superperson urge.

—Give in more often.

—Create a quiet scene and escape for a while Cont…

29-20


—Use "not now" buttons.

—Plan your work.

—Write a letter.

—Take an adult education course.

—Take a walk..

—Talk it out, confide in someone you trust.

—Cry.

—Take a bubble bath.

—Focus on enjoyment.

—Avoid making too many big changes at once.

—Be realistic.

—Tackle one task at a time.

—Hit a tennis ball against a wall and work off your anger.

—Do something for others.

—Go easy with criticism.

—Establish a nutritious diet

Checklist of temporary escape techniques

29-21


Employee Counselling

Counselling is a dyadic relationship between a manager who is offering help and an employee to whom such help is given. Counselling helps a person overcome emotional problems and weaknesses related to performance.

Features of Counselling The focus is on developmental, educational, preventive concerns

Processes such as guidance, classification, suggestion etc., are commonly employed

The emphasis is on problem-solving and situational difficulties

The relationship between the counsellor and the counsellee is friendly, advisory, helpful and trustworthy.

The aim is to clear the mind (of a counseller) of cob-webs, mental blocks and improve personal effectiveness.Source: N.K Singh, HRM, Excel Books, New Delhi 1999.

The process of counselling

Rapport building

Exploration

Action planning

29-22



29-23


The process of performance counselling

P h as e H elpful Behaviou r H indering B ehaviour

I. R apport BuildingAttending Rituals

Conversation on personal matters Discussion of behaviour from the beginning

Smile

Listening (to) Physical attention (Posture) Distractionfeelings Eye contact (attention to other things,conce rns Response (verbal & non-verbal) te lephones)problems Keeping out telephones, noise,

disturbances etc.

Acceptance Communication of feelings and Lack of response; Passive listening(em pathy) conce rns for a long period

Paraphrasing feelingssharing own experience

II. ExplorationExploring Mirroring or paraphrasing Criticising

Open questions Avoiding or hedgingEncouragement to explore

Identification of Questions to explore Suggestion of a problemproblems possible problems

Encouragement to generate informationIdentification of a probable problem

Diagnosis Exploratory questions Suggesting the causeGenerating several possible causes

III. A ction PlanningSearching Questions on possible solutions Adv ising

Generating alternative solutionsDecision-making Questions on feasibility, Directing

priority, pros and consDiscussion of one solutionDiscussion of an action planContingency plan

Supporting Identification of needed help Promise of general helpMonitoringContract on help

29-24


Effective counselling requires active participation from the subordinates, fair and objective evaluation of performance-related factors by the superior with an intention to rectify mistakes and improve subordinates’ performance and a proper organisational climate built around mutual trust and understanding.


29-25


Helping

A helping relationship is one in which at least one of the parties has the intent of promoting the growth, development, maturity, improved functioning, improved coping with the life of the other. Helping can be reactive or proactive.

Helping relationship

Helper

E N I R O M E N T

Feedback

P S Y C H O L O G I C A L C L I M A T E

O R

G

O

AN

SI

AT

I

N AL

Task

Receiver

Helping behaviour, thus, depends on three essential things

The task

The helper

Communicate

Be positive

Give freedom

Show empathy

Accept the client's personality unconditionally

The receiver

The helping climate

29-26


Helping

29-27


The rewards of effective helping relationship

In effective helping relationships, the recipient is able to:

explore new possibilities

visualise things about oneself that one was not aware of

able to ‘unfreeze’ himself

face the realities of the situation confidently

get on well with colleagues, by having a better grip over events and situations

notice the consequences of one’s actions

take a holistic view of people, events, situations, behaviours, and consequences.

29-28


Mentoring

Mentoring is the use of an experienced person to teach and train someone with less knowledge in a given area. Technical, interpersonal and political skills can be conveyed in such a relationship from the older to the younger person.

Mentor’s ways of helping the protégé Share knowledge and skills related to the job

Explain unwritten rules of conduct and behaviour of the organisation

Prevent the protege from doing wrong things and committing mistakes

Provide important insights into the corporate affairs

Extend emotional support and guidance continuously so that the protege can develop his skills and knowledge over a period of time and stand on his own.

Steps in Mentoring

Establishing trusting relationship between the mentor and the protégé

Modelling behavioural norms for the young persons

Listening to the job related problems of the protégé

Helping the protégé to find alternative ways to resolve the problems

Responding to the emotional needs of the protégé, without making him dependent on the mentor

Developing a long lasting relationship based on mutual trust and understanding.

29-29


Mentoring

Chapter 29

Health & Medicine

faces of stress job

positive stress

harmful stress

constructive stress

destructive stress

introduction stress

responsibility job stress

life sources of stress