Managing Stress

TCM 710 Project Leadership Overview of Chapter 6 Volume 2

From:
Verma, Vijay . The Human Aspects of Project Management Human Resource Skills for the Project Manager, Volume Two. Upper Darby, PA: Project Management Institute.

About Stress and Stress Management

What is stress?
Stress the nonspecific or psychological response of the body to any demand made upon it. Total Stress = (opportunity, constraint and demand)
Constraints prevent individuals from doing what they desire Demands loss of something desired

Three-stage stress reaction

Alarm reaction fight or flight Resistance stage adapt and resist stressor
Exhaustion stage occurs when stressor persists longer than the bodys ability to cope
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About Stress and Stress Management

Types of Stress
Eustress
Constructive stress A motivator that contributes to an increase in performance

Distress
Destructive stress A demotivator that reduces the ability to perform Can cause physical and/0r emotional suffering and disturbance

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Sources of Stress
Factors related to roles and relationships
Role Conflict
Intersender role conflict caused when expectations from one source conflict with expectations from another source Intrasender role conflict individual given contradictory orders by another person Person role conflict asked to act in a manner that they think is wrong Inter-role conflict occurs when people play multiple roles

Role ambiguity
Happens when an individual is not clear about his or her job responsibilities
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Sources of Stress
Factors related to job environment
The workload overload of work Unsafe working conditions stress from the fear of being injured or killed on the job Overemphasis on deadlines continual, unreasonable pressure to finish tasks by a certain time

Personal factors
Interpersonal relationships most common, comes from interacting with other employees Lack of positive reinforcement discourages people and may even cause stress to some project personnel Conflicts and change provides uncertainty
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Sources of Stress
Factors related to project climate
Project management style project personnel feel a high degree of stress if the project environment or climate and the project management style adopted by senior management and/or the project manager is to difficult to live with
Organizational structure, communications, empowerment, etc.

Career development stressor associated with future professional growth potential Corporate politics PMs and team can become stressed when corporate politics takes up a lot of time and effort
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Effects of Stress
Health and stress (physiological effects)
Stress-related health problems place a significant burden on individuals and organizations
Increased premiums for health insurance, lost work days, increased accidents, legal problems

Performance and stress

Job burnout physical and emotional exhaustion caused by excessive demands on emotions, energy and other personal resources
Characteristics of people with job burnout high level of stress, high achievers, set high, unattainable goals Symptoms of job burnout physiological (fatigue), emotional (short temper) and behavioral (absenteeism) issues
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Effects of Stress
Personality and stress
Type A personality
Driven, high-achieving types Characteristics: chronic sense of time urgency, extreme competitive and aggressive behaviors, aversion to idleness, impatience with barriers to task completion

Type B personality
Characteristics: easy going, relaxed, no guilty feeling if time is taken off, unconcerned about time pressure, less competitive and aggressive

The Hardy personality

Characteristics: sense of commitment, perceives problems as challenges, internal locus of control, sense of positive involvement, optimistic
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Guidelines for Managing Stress

Managing individual stress
Activities and behaviors designed to eliminate or control sources of stress and/or help resist stress Suggestions: positive attitude, dont procrastinate, exercise, use relaxation techniques Stress diary used to detect relationships between work tasks and stress Mechanical (biofeedback) devices used to identify activities that increase blood flow or heart rate Identification of stress situations Work schedule energy schedule Attitude adaptation - encourage empowerment Personal organization Leisure activity Managerial integration improved project performance counseling

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Guidelines for Managing Stress

Managing organizational stress
Targets of organizational stress management programs
Improvements in the physical work environment/conditions Job redesign Organizational structure Interpersonal relations Effective goal-setting Greater level of employee participation Workshops dealing with role clarity and role analysis Health and wellness programs
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Guidelines for Managing Stress

Helping project participants handle stress
Identify stressors
Understand and analyze stressors and become familiar with the nature of the stress response and how it affects your body Analyze, delegate, try to remove or shield

Prevent unwanted stressors

PERKS Participation, environment, recognition, knowledge and style. Create a supportive organizational climate Make jobs interesting Design and operate career counseling programs
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Putting It All Together

Assess the situation Accept what cant be changed Avoid the avoidable Adapt with proactive change Alter the flexible situation

Learning from the experts

The five-year test will you care 5 yrs from now? Lend a hand helping others to relieve stress Take control control events you can and accept those you cant Try teamwork reduces stress Wash it away Dont sweat the small stuff its all small stuff
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