Teams, Change, and Stress


Teams , Change, and Stress

Being a leader is certainly no easy task. While international ambassadors receive immunity and invitations to dinners and balls, you probably won't receive the equivalent at your organization. Remember that you are there to help others help themselves . Your team cannot succeed or fail based strictly on what you do. If that were the case, you wouldn't really have a team concept. You can make a big difference by doing some small things, as has been suggested throughout this book. However, success is still up to the team and many other key people throughout the organization.

While the use of a team concept can improve productivity and provide the opportunity for camaraderie and a sense of satisfaction, teams also create stress. People don't want to let their peers down. Team members may have felt the need for change because they wanted more say about decisions that affect their work life. I have heard many workers tell me that "management is too important to leave to management." However, this puts pressure on people to now make those decisions instead of just complaining. While it can be exciting to get to know people who are different from yourself, it can also be frustrating. While change may be needed for the organization to move forward, it can feel uncomfortable and thus stressful for most people. Change creates chaos, at least at first.

Are the stresses of change and the responsibilities of leadership all bad? Of course not. Up to a point, stress is a motivator. It energizes us to do something about what's causing it. Common sources of stress that you and members of your team may have to face at work include the following:

  • Job setting (e.g., noise, danger, etc.)

  • Job responsibilities (e.g., impacting lives and work of others)

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EXERCISE 32

Applying the Three Laws to Tip a Change Movement

Directions:

  1. Brainstorm a list of people in the organization you think you may be able to influence. Then, commit to explaining the team-based change effort to at least three of these people. Be sure you recruit at least one connector, one maven, and one salesperson.

  2. Identify the "sticky" messages underlying the changes you are trying to promote.

  3. Develop a plan for when and where you will communicate your change efforts to the people you are committed to trying to influence. Be sure you have a context conducive to the content you are trying to deliver.

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  • Role in the organization (e.g., responsibility without much authority)

  • Career issues (e.g., being underemployed, in over one's head)

  • Relationships at work (e.g., jealousies, resentments)

  • Recent events on the job (e.g., accidents, economic downturns)

  • Culture of the organization (e.g., autocratic, competitive)

  • Recent events away from work (e.g., divorce, traffic disruptions)

If the stress continues without resolution, it can be exhausting. The general adaptation syndrome describes the process this way: (1) people (as well as animals) are first alarmed by a source of stress; (2) stressors activate our adaptive responses of "fight or flight" ”we either do something about the situation or get the heck out of there; and (3) if the source of stress continues, we become exhausted.




Tools for Team Leadership. Delivering the X-Factor in Team eXcellence
Tools for Team Leadership: Delivering the X-Factor in Team eXcellence
ISBN: 0891063862
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 137

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