Megh_Landscape.pdf

Transcript

1. I SAW S.tress A.t W.ork Stress at work is prevalent in many forms. It is important to minimize it to help the employee become more productive in the sphere of work. Minimizing this stress also leads to a better work environment for the employee and the firm as well. Ali Ali worked as a market researcher where he felt the stress of deadlines and ambiguity. He needed to feel secure in his work environment because this was the first time he was out in the “real world” and there were no grades for validation Michael Michael worked for the Coast Guard where he felt the stress of being on long tours with no contact with the outside world. He needed to feel a sense of affiliation in his work environment because he missed the comfort of home and friends that he had left behind in New Jersey. Liying Liying worked for the cargo division of Lufthansa where she felt no stress at all. She felt inconsequential and was lost in the circuitous bureaucracy of a large company. She needed to feel significant in the company that she was working in because she did not want to lead a life of inconsequence. - Meghbartma Gautam
2. Low-Tech Approaches in play Yoga and Pranayama – Although very different techniques, they are used simultaneously to calm jangling nerves in the workplace Work-Life Balance – This is stressed (pun intended) as a charter in most of the firms. The idea is to promote a stress free workplace by allowing people the chance at a life outside of work Play Time – This is used to promote physical exercise among employees. Compulsory Vacations – This is intended to encourage employees to take time off and be away from the daily responsibilities of work Increase Personal Space – Allowing customization of cubicle space makes for a great safe place for employees to return to periodically after meetings and stress-inducing events Increase breaks – Allowing spaces dedicated to power naps and instant rest also help de-stress
3. High-Tech Approaches in play Productivity Tracker– This tool (Either an Excel add-in or a web based solution) is used to track tasks to completion allowing for minute visibility and take the stress out of ambiguity Agile – This is not only a technical solution but is also widely used in technical industry. The idea is to encourage iterations and take the stress out by not playing up perfection Stress Accessories – Fairly low tech but these accessories (Balls/Punching bags/any accessory basically) are used to both acknowledge and promote dispersal of stress Increase connectivity – Allowing people to stay connected by providing them productivity tools on mobile and tablets allow for instant responses and take the stress out of surprises and late breaking news
4. High-Tech Approaches – flipside Productivity Tracker– This tool (Either an Excel add-in or a web based solution) is touted as a check list and filling this tool to track targets sometimes assumes more importance than doing the actual work itself Agile – The idea if implemented properly is a very effective way to iterate on a solution. However, this is not treated in spirit and at times, agile just means more work and iteration only to comply with the process. Stress Accessories – These accessories are used to both acknowledge and promote dispersal of stress. The part about acknowledging stress is what is seen as a mark of weakness. So, most times they just sit on as embellishments gathering dust on a table. Increase connectivity – Allowing people to stay connected has the necessary evil of not letting them slip under the grid at any time. This is the fatal flaw with allowing people to have productivity tools on their handheld
5. Insights and observations • A child cries when the house is too big and when it is held too tightly as well. Stress at work comes from unreasonable deadlines and less work of significance • Stress at work multiplies when shared • Stress at work follows the path of most resistance • Stress is in the mindset and spirit and not in any particular process • Stress has many outlets, unsurprisingly, all of them lead to a loss in productivity
6. Questions and Deeper Dives • What does it mean for technology to be an enabler and not merely a tool in the domain of stress? • Who do you approach when you are stressed? • Are you weak if you are stressed? • How do you design an organization if stress is to be dissipated, do you design keeping stress in mind? • Why would you tackle stress proactively? • Is stress an inevitable side-effect? • Given different employees have different thresholds for stress tolerance, how would you design for stress?