As one of the central leaders of a business, your job involves overseeing and managing myriad areas and systems within a workplace. Business managers / directors are the metaphorical captains of the ship, assessing and determining the best routes through calm waters, and avoiding potentially dangerous storms. It’s an incredible responsibility and while there’s no way to guarantee a workplace that is free of fallbacks 100% of the time, there is one sure-fire way to reduce the possibility of situations that can negatively impact employee success, productivity and well-being – and that is awareness.
At AHCS, we place high priority on the wellness of our teams to ensure the best quality of care for those who need it most. As a nurse staffing agency, this is one of the cornerstones of our ability to provide quick and reliable supplementary healthcare staff to residential facilities. For those whose job is to manage these facilities, it’s helpful to recognize that the health of your teams is a direct reflection on the health of the patients they care for. That being said, let’s talk about some ways to increase awareness on team health and avoid detrimental scenarios like employee burnout and declining patient care.
- Educate yourself on signs of chronic stress. Some examples can include: lower tolerance for stressful situations and/or a visible decrease in problem-solving abilities, increasingly negative or dissociative attitude at work, increase in sick days or time off work, decreased focus, missing steps or making mistakes in the workplace, increase in complaints about coworkers, management or clients, etc. Additionally, you may notice particular members of staff seeming “off”, meaning that there are obvious differences in their usual demeanor. This is important to take note of – and be sure not to ignore this behaviour if it becomes more and more regular.
- Lead by example….this means first recognizing signs of chronic stress and pressure in yourself, and addressing it as soon as possible. Short and acute periods of pressure can be good for productivity and business health – but when pressure becomes prolonged, this can have the opposite effect on both the organization and those who keep the wheels turning. If you notice that you’re exhibiting behaviours that indicate chronic stress, give yourself and the business you represent the respect of taking action immediately. This might mean delegating certain tasks, giving yourself and your schedule more space day-to-day, or seeking additional support (i.e., expanding the team you manage, or even accessing personalized therapy and learning some new coping strategies outside of work that you can also adopt within the workplace).
- Actively check in with staff members and their well-being. This kind of leadership is shown to boost morale in the workplace, promote transparency and improve day-to-day performance. Additionally, this means learning to spot signs of burnout or chronic stress in your employees the same as you would your own mental and physical health issues. Employees may not always feel comfortable coming to you with their challenges, so if you demonstrate the power of honest and constructive communication, your teams will begin to see the benefits as well and soon be able to tackle problems before they even present.
Chronic pressure and stress can be avoided if you are vigilant and aware of your own body’s needs, and the needs of those you manage. From all of us at AHCS, we see you, we respect you and we appreciate your consistent efforts to be the best leader possible.