In short, I would attempt to coach them to where they felt their passions were for work so they could be successful. It would be more consultative and coaching to them. I think this approach would help to diffuse the stress of the employee not doing the work correctly or at all, and help them get to a position in their careers where they could excel. I think they would appreciate that; ultimately the best managers specifically focus on helping their subordinates get to their goals, regardless if those goals are in their department or not. it's best, I believe, to have honest discussions like these with subordinates to show that I would care about them as people too, and that working for me is more of a coaching and developmental experience and less of a dictatorial or demanding one.
Describe some of the major stressors in the workplace? What would you do if you were experiencing some of those stressors at work?
There are nearly too many stressors in the workplace to count from the deadlines on projects, to the conflicts between co-workers and bosses, to the internalized conflicts between departments. Of all stressors however the most difficult to deal with his stress and conflict...
The fear of losing ones' job for disagreeing with a boss drives many people to sacrifice their self-esteem to just hold onto their jobs. This is wrong and creates even more stress at home and with friends that can see when a person feels down or depressed. When there is stress with a boss often subordinates don't feel valued or even considered good at their jobs. it's no wonder that for many people this stressor alone is the single biggest reason they leave their jobs. If I was experiencing this stressor I would first of all schedule a one-on-one conference with my boss, and then work through he issues I felt they did not approve of in terms of my performance. By doing this I would be able to clarify and validate if my perceptions of how I was doing matched up with what they thought. I would strive to get on the same perception as my boss as quickly as I could to alleviate the stress. If in fact there was a major disconnect between my bosses' perception of how I was doing and how I felt I was doing, I would ask for a plan for improvement and take responsibility for increasing my overall performance as well. Only by doing this could I alleviate such a larger stressor in my life.
