Mitigating Stress in the Showroom

Everyone has too much to do, challenging deadlines to meet and performance metrics to satisfy.  Let's face it, work can be stressful.  However, we know that a stressful environment can zap productivity and make it more difficult for everyone on the team to be as effective as they really can be.

 

You can help reduce stress in your showroom by clearly stating what you want, your expectations and goals.  When team members receive vague messages, they are caught in no man's land.  What does a team member think if you send an email asking for a meeting without providing a hint of what the discussion will entail?  They may think, oh no, I have done something wrong or my performance is not satisfactory.  Be crystal clear in your communication so those you depend on, and who depend on you, won't have to spend time and energy fretting over what you may be thinking.

 

The average professional receives an estimated 122 emails a day.  If you are working on a project, it's easy to ignore emails so you can meet your deadline.  Most emails don't have to be responded to right away, but there are some that do.  When you ignore the time-sensitive and urgent messages, you send the message that you are not engaged or you don't care.  Regardless of how busy you are or how time sensitive an approaching deadline might be, spend at least 15 minutes a day culling emails to identify those that need an immediate response.

 

Avoid the temptation to micromanage.  Most of your team will thrive if given a little leeway.  If they feel someone is constantly looking over their shoulder though, it will compromise their performance and sap their confidence.  If you have a tendency to micromanage, work with your team members to establish performance metrics and timelines.  That way you can review performance at agreed-to intervals. Subsequently, your team won't feel as though you don't trust them.  This in turn sends a signal of confidence and trust, which are keys to high performance.

 

Being crystal clear in your communication, responding to urgent and pressing issues immediately and providing freedom for the team to perform will help reduce stress in your showroom and improve everyone's performance.