Supporting middle management and senior staff with stress.
Things that stress managers and senior members of staff out will be the same things that stress out other employees.
Here are some of the most common causes of stress:
workload
inefficient time management
lack of communication and clarity
work-life balance
lack of training or opportunity for career progression
lack of job security
lack of autonomy
lack of appreciation from the employer
And that’s just some of the work stuff!
A quick Google search will tell you that there’s a lot of content out there about how management can support their employees, but who’s looking after management? 🧐
The managerial role
The distinction between a manager and a leader is often blurred.
“Theoretically it is accepted that management is administration, planning and organising processes or people, associated with a formal role within an organisation,” (CIPD).
But leadership is considered to be:
“The process of influencing others to understand and agree about what needs to be done and how to do it, and the process of facilitating individual and collective efforts to accomplish shared objectives,” (Yukl 2012).
Senior members of staff are often fulfilling the role of manager and leader. That can be a heck of a lot of pressure!
“Managers at all levels feel they are unable to support the interests and/or wellbeing of their team members because they have to prioritise other aspects of their job (for example, when the organisation is going through change),” - (CIPD).
According to the CIPD, middle managers are the most overworked and stressed, lacking support from more senior members of staff - pandemic or no pandemic.
If management isn't supported, it’s safe to say that the people working below them won’t be either. You could argue that it’s not really the job of the employee to support a manager. But shouldn’t we all be looking out for each other? Employees can, and do, have an impact.
The next couple of tips are for employees to use to support themselves and others in the workplace, top-down, bottom-up, and even sideways.
Be aware 👂
A third (32%) of us find ourselves thinking about work in our personal time, causing us stress.
Not only do managers have targets, planning, and admin to do, but they also have the responsibility to inspire and lead the people who report to them. It’s no wonder that most managers find themselves spending their weekends catching up on work instead of taking a break. So have a lil’ compassion! Even just acknowledging that can be helpful to you and to all your colleagues.
Sometimes a manager might forget something that you think is important, but they’re human - just like you. Accepting that a manager won’t act perfectly all the time will make your own life easier because you won’t spend your precious time feeling frustrated and impatient. If you come to work with a little bit more awareness and compassion you’re more likely to get on with your colleagues and enjoy your time at work.
Give feedback 🗳️
Managers need feedback, whether positive or negative, to know whether they’re doing things right and whether they’re leading effectively. Don’t feel bad about saying you’re unhappy about something.
If you feel nervous about speaking up or giving feedback, that’s totally normal. But showing confidence in your ideas, and in yourself, is what managers want to see when they’re thinking about growing a team or considering someone for promotion. By speaking up you’re showing initiative, confidence, and engagement!
Take charge 👩✈️
Taking charge doesn’t mean you have to do everything alone. It’s more about being innovative.
When you do have to give some feedback that’s more on the negative side, instead of expecting your manager to come up with an alternative solution to the problem, try coming to the table with your own ideas. In order to thrive and grow, teams need innovative people to put their ideas forward at all levels. Your ideas matter!
56% of employers said they would like to do more to improve staff wellbeing but don't feel they have the right training or guidance.
Another way to take charge of your working environment is to know yourself. Know the ways you work well and the ways you don’t. Knowing how to look after your own mental health can be so beneficial if another teammate needs a hand and doesn't know where to turn.
While employers are more aware of their team’s wellbeing, that doesn’t necessarily mean that there will always be a solid wellbeing strategy in place. At OnHand, we formed our own committee so that we had a specific space to chat about all things wellbeing and put together a programme. You don’t necessarily need to have a mental health expert on your team to come up with a decent programme. You also don’t necessarily need to wait for your manager to suggest it. Take charge!
Communication! Communication! Communication! 🗣️
It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.
The solution is to be direct and compassionate all at once. Arianna Huffington, for the New York Times, calls this ‘Compassionate Directiveness’. 💡
Combining bluntness with compassion means you’re being conscious of someone’s feelings and perspective when you deliver feedback. It means you aren’t afraid to be honest and potentially ruffle some feathers, or you feel the fear and do it anyway because you know that you won’t get the performance you want from your team if you’re not giving honest and constructive feedback. How you deliver what you’re delivering really matters.
How can employees use ‘Compassionate Directiveness’ to support management?
Three simple words.
Too often, managers go without hearing someone say “How are you?” and actually mean it. The pandemic prompted managers to take more of an interest in employee wellbeing, which is wonderful and necessary. But are they forgetting to check in with themselves?
A Gallup poll found that only 26% of employees strongly agree that the feedback they’re getting is helping them improve their work.
This could be because it’s not being delivered well. In companies that don’t have a traditional hierarchal structure, it can be tricky to know how to give feedback. But giving feedback isn’t just about managers telling a member of staff where they’ve gone right or wrong (see tip number 2!)
‘Compassionate directiveness’ can really help because it relies less on traditional corporate structures and more on collaborative work. To do it really effectively you have to know the people you work with very well but, more importantly, you have to want to ask questions, listen and understand.
The sum-up
The action you take is kind of irrelevant when it comes to helping support your colleagues. It’s more to do with your attitude. Your actions are just the byproduct. If you’re demonstrating compassion, innovation, initiative, and awareness you’re more likely to be showing up as an engaged and helpful member of the team. That’s every manager’s dream, right? (You’ll also get much more out of your job as well, btw).