Job Distress? It’s Time To ‘De-Stress’

The sad fact of life in the 1990s is that many hard-working, talented people will face a difficult time hanging onto their jobs or finding new positions on par with the ones they lost.

With recent announcements such as 40,000 layoffs at AT&T and impending layoffs as a result of the Wells Fargo-First Interstate bank merger, for some it’s hard to get up and go to work in the morning.

A survey issued by Dale Carnegie Training found that nearly half (47 percent) of American workers reported 1995 as the most stressful year ever.

Thirty-five percent indicated that their job situation was the primary reason for the increased stress.

And with the announcements this month, 1996 isn’t looking any rosier.

What can you do to minimize your chances of falling under the ax of America’s ongoing downsizing, rightsizing and re-engineering?

Your first reaction might be “not much.” That’s when the stress kicks in.

Stress is linked not so much to workload, to risk or to challenge as it is to feeling a loss of control over the events that affect us.

Back in 1944, Dale Carnegie studied “worry” - what we would now call “stress.” He concluded that, in most cases, people have far more control over worrisome situations than they realize.

Also, he discovered that people were so distressed about their work situation that they couldn’t concentrate on the skills needed to survive and succeed in the workplace.

Sound too easy? The following is a more systematic, step-by-step approach to “de-stress” in a downsizing work environment:

1.) Don’t slip into a “victim” mentality. Do the best you can every day.

Do your best to look professional, to be punctual, to keep making a contribution. Put yourself in management’s shoes: Would you rather lay off an employee with a hangdog, gloomy attitude or one who tries hard every day?

2.) Keep your skills sharp. Take advantage of any in-house training offered, especially if it’s computer-related.

Polish any rusty skills you may have, from Spanish to spreadsheet analysis. You never know what’s going to save your job (or help you find the next one).

3.) Learn from your mistakes. Everyone makes them, even your boss.

Make a mental note (or write it down) as to what you did wrong, what the result was and how you could prevent it from happening again. One thing management does notice is a dramatic improvement in performance.

4.) Learn to listen. Understanding what your company is really saying is essential in a downsizing environment.

If your chief executive says it’s time to “get back to basics” or “work on core competencies,” it means your company is leaving certain businesses.

What are your customers really asking for in today’s market and what are they truly willing to spend? Do they feel you truly understand their business needs?

5.) Increase your personal flexibility. Think twice before taking on any major financial commitments and plan on building up an extra financial cushion.

Scale back on that big college-graduation bash you were planning for your son’s college graduation.

Think about establishing flexibility to relocate for a better position, either within the company or outside.

6.) Take time. Think. Prioritize. Many times, people working in a tough work environment make hasty, wrong decisions that can haunt them later.

Don’t be afraid to ask a question twice, hear an idea out - then tell the person you’ll give an answer shortly.

Smart, sure decisions are highly valued, particularly in companies learning to work with fewer workers.

7.) Don’t spend too much time in the office. At some point, it’s far more productive to take a 15-minute walk outdoors, spend more time with friends and family, than slavishly work into the evening.

Manage your stress - and the fear of downsizing - just like every other aspect of your business life.

Identify the things you can control and take steps to manage them to your own advantage.

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