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Stress Management forSupervisors and Their

Employees

Presented by: Judith Gissy PCC, LICDC, NCAC II, SAP

© 2019 TriHealth Inc. All rights reserved.Copying or reproducing this document is strictly prohibited.

TriHealth EAP 513 891 1627

For employees and their dependents:

• Assessment and treatment

recommendations

• Counseling

• Crisis intervention

• WorkLife services

For organizations:

• Trainings

• Management consultation

• Critical incident response

services

TriHealth EAP is part of the Corporate

Health division of TriHealth Healthcare

System. We provide services directly to

employees and to organizations.

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Stress

• Anxiety caused when situations and responsibilities are greater than our coping abilities

• A combination of physical, behavioral, thinking and feeling factors.

• Stress is a normal fact of life• The key to managing stress is

how we react and cope with the pressures we experience.

• There are unique stressors experienced by supervisors.

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• Taking care of both the employee’s needs and the company’s needs

• Encountering challenges with some employees you’re supervising

• Inability to share what you’re experiencing with employees

• Less opportunities for open sharing with peers

• Dealing with downsizing & restructuring, being asked to “do more with less”

Stressors for Supervisors

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Stress Management

for Supervisors

• When feeling stressed, there are skills that can help de-escalate us, such as deep breathing, muscle relaxation, exercise, or debriefing with someone we trust.

• However, the goal is to develop stress prevention skills, to keep us on a more “even keel,” and keep stress from making less of an impact

• So what are those characteristics that have been found to aid in preventing stress in supervisors and in the employees in their charge?

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Perspective

• Perspective is the ability to mentally transform obstacles into temporary challenges.

• It is based on the belief that we can’t change the events in our lives, but we can change how we interpret and respond to those events.

• It means viewing problems as part of life, an opportunities to grow and develop

• This allows people to set goals, and work towards those goals with commitment, intensity and persistence.

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We Can Improve Our Perspective by . . .

• Taking a step back, trying to see the larger picture in each situation

• Working to understand why situations occurred & certain decisions were made

• Accepting that our workplace has changed and will constantly keep changing and restructuring

• Developing realistic perceptions and expectations• Visualizing what we want rather than what we fear• Looking for the challenge and opportunity in each crisis• Writing out the successful “best possible scenario” for

each situation

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• Providing structure & stability

• Giving employees the “big picture” of the situation, why it’s occurring and the company’s long-term goals

• Being willing to answer questions

• Listening and acknowledging employees’ concerns

We Can Help Employees

Develop Perspective by . . .

• Being honest about the our feelings and new perspectives

• Continue to keep employees apprised of new situations quickly

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Empowerment

• Often times in stress, we feel buffeted by circumstances beyond our control.

• These “hopeless and helpless” feelings can keep us paralyzed.

• Feeling empowered, even in the most difficult of situations, helps to keep the stress “in check.”

• This means believing that their actions could still make a difference, even in challenging situations.

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We Can Empower Ourselves by . . .

• Making a list of “things I am in control of” in this situation

• Remembering a time that we were resilient in the past

• Curtailing negative thinking & promoting positive thinking

• Identifying and correcting our negative internal dialogue

• Using affirmation, such as, “I am strong and capable; or “Just take it one day at a time;” or “This isn’t pleasant, but I’ll be okay;” or “I’ll be all right because . . . ”

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We Can Empower Employees by . . .

• Fostering acts of leadership through the entire system

• Demonstrating to employees that we have a great deal of trust in them

• Giving employees the authority to make basic everyday decisions

• Knowing the level of empowerment that is appropriate for the employee’s skill level and job responsibilities

• Giving clear & specific positive feedback, through both formal and informal methods.

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Using Good Problem-

Solving Skills

• Once we can calm ourselves and think clearly, we are able to “attack the difficulties” through direct action.

• In any situation, there are still some things within our control.

• This means solving problems to meet the demands of daily life and handle problems when they arise.

• This means shaping our environment whenever possible, and adjusting to it when necessary.

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We Can Effectively

Problem-Solve by . . .

• Asking ourselves neutral “learner questions”

• Making a list of all of our options in a situation

• Taking small simple steps towards a solution

• Brainstorming ideas with managers & supervisors

• “Travelling to the clues”

• Deciding on a course, but leaving the other options “on the table” for the future

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We Can Help Employees

Problem-Solve by . . .

• Inviting forums for discussion and sharing of ideas and potential solutions

• Soliciting opinions and being open to new ways of adapting to changes

• Experimenting with new ways of working to better meet business goals and employee’s needs

• Allowing for mistakes in the beginning, with the understanding that decisions can be re-decided

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Utilizing Coping Skills

• Difficult situations trigger a variety of negative feelings, such as fear, grief, frustration, anger, guilt, anxiety, regret, and disappointment.

• If overwhelmed by these feelings, it is difficult to think clearly to take action.

• It is important first to effectively cope with our feelings as part of the problem-solving process.

• This means openly exploring our emotions & expressing them in a healthy way, in the context of the job.

• This includes experiencing the positive emotions despite the negative emotions in the situation.

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We Exercise Good

Coping Skills by . . .

• Expressing and releasing our feelings to supportive people.

• Using journaling, or other arts to release tension & gain insight.

• Seeking out support groups or attending counseling to ventilate feelings & obtain support.

• Calming ourselves through meditation, relaxation, and/or creative visualization (constructive daydreaming)

• Noticing & appreciating “today’s” positive experiences

• Keeping a positivity ratio of three to one

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We Can Encouraging Good Use

of Coping Skills in Employees by . . .

• Providing opportunities to connect with coworkers and debrief difficult situations on the job

• Informing employees of TriHealth EAP’s employee assistance program

• Having an open door policy

• Arranging trainings on coping skills, such as stress management, communication skills, conflict management, and decision-making

• Create an environment of openness and honesty, particularly in dealing with difficult situations

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Maintaining Meaningful

Connections

• Our support systems are essential to managing stress

• Our friends, family, and social groups help us with good information, a sounding board, concrete services, and feedback on our behavior.

• Strong social supports are strongly connected to healthy aging and longevity.

• It is important to have a strong support system and utilize them often to cope with situations as they occur.

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We Can Utilize Good

Connections by . . .

• Maintaining social rituals, routines, and traditions

• Maintaining supportive social networks, through friends, clubs, and/or church groups

• Practicing asking for help

• Maintaining close relationships with our extended family• Using role models to learn how to handle situations

• Understanding how to access community resources• Finding positive supportive relationships of people who

will listen to us and encourage our best selves

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We Can Help Employees

Feel Connected by . . .

• Staying active and involved in the workplace

• Being familiar with the type of work the employees do

• Interacting in an informal way with employees on a regular basis

• Showing an active interest in each employee’s viewpoint

• Believing in each employee’s potential

• Practicing appropriate conflict resolution skills

• Fostering teamwork among employees

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Investing in Our Own

Growth and Development

• An important ingredient in becoming “stress-resistant is to continuing to grow and develop

• New experiences give us stability, feelings of competence and “fill the well” of confidence.

• This means utilizing difficult situations to learn new skills, gain more knowledge, and expand our understanding.

• This includes the ability to focus towards a larger goal, rather than responding from crisis to crisis.

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We Can Continue Developing by . . .

• Identifying our own “skill gaps” as Supervisors

• Meeting with our own supervisors to determine what skills might help us in the future

• Setting goals of what we would like to accomplish in our personal and professional lives

• Attending continuing education on subjects that can help us expand our repertoire and skill level

• Finding ways to network with other supervisors

• Reading literature on theories of leadership

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• Encouraging the development of professional goals

• Coaching employees to help them determine what they need

• Helping identify the gaps in the employee’s skills or training needs

• Providing referrals for any off-the-job problems

• Providing encouragement and building self-confidence

• Identifying training opportunities

Supervisors Can Encourage

Employee Development by . . .

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Taking Care of Ourselves

• When in “survival mode,” it’s very easy to neglect our own needs.

• Not eating, ignoring exercise, and not getting enough sleep creates a “vicious cycle,” as it increases our stress level.

• We are best able to tackle the situations the world throws at us when we’re in our optimum physical condition.

• It is important to actively work to protect and enhance physical resilience to stress by taking care of the basics.

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We Can Take Care of Ourselves by . . .

• Having a daily self-care routine

• Eating healthy, including whole grain foods, fruits and vegetables, and frequent use of water

• Obtaining adequate sleep

• Obtain regular exercise, including a more active lifestyle, stretching, exercise, and recreational activities

• Making time for activities we enjoy

• Obtaining regular physical checkups

• Abstaining (or quitting) tobacco products

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We Can Encourage Employees to

Take Care of Themselves by . . .

• Encouraging work-life balance

• If possible, allowing for some time flexibility

• Keeping employees informed of all of their benefits

• Creating healthy programs in the workplace, such as walking, other exercise

• Encouraging participation in wellness programs, if applicable

• Help employees access resources for self-care

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With Good Stress

Management Skills, We Can Better Cope

with Stressors, and

We Help Our Employees Better

Reach Their Goals.

Conclusion