2023-08-18 15:13:06
In a stressful period, one manager out of three does not know how to manage pressure and is perceived as mute and closed to dialogue. This is the conclusion of a study published by the American firm VitalSmarts, which specializes in management consulting. The authors, David Maxfield and Justin Hale, asked 1,334 employees to describe, via an online questionnaire, the behavior of their manager under stress. Their conclusions show that a domino effect is taking place and that the stress of a manager also affects the performance of his teams.
Performance drop
According to the study, 53% of employees surveyed estimate that their supervisors tend to close in on themselves and control their teams more when they are under stress. And 45% consider them more irascible, whether they ignore or reject them during these tense periods.
Beyond a detrimental effect on their mental or physical health and on their reputation within the company, this lowering of consideration of managers with regard to their subordinates can undermine the motivation of the latter: “When the leaders fail to practice effective dialogue under stress, their team members are more likely to consider quitting their jobs. They are also less likely to go above and beyond their responsibilities, are prone to frustration and anger, and are more likely to complain,” the study points out. Worse, the negative atmosphere that prevails when a boss cracks under stress increases the propensity of teams to miss deadlines, neglect budgets and quality standards, and act in ways that risk driving customers away.
Self-control, an acquired quality
Conversely, leaders who know how to be calm, curious and attentive, even in stressful situations, tend to make their team more trusting, therefore effective. Thus, 56% of employees who have been in this situation say they want to achieve their objectives more often and feel more inclined to act in the interests of their clients.
These listening managers are not of a more serene nature. According to the authors of the study, this ability to maintain composure in stressful situations is an acquired quality: “Our ability to remain open to dialogue even when the stakes are high does not depend on inherent or genetic factors. , they explain. These are skills that anyone can learn and adopt. This involves, for example, anticipating a period of stress by preparing for it with your teams and by communicating. But it is still necessary to have been trained to practice this “relational” skill, also called soft skill. A fact that managers should not neglect in the recruitment and training of their employees.
This article originally appeared in Young Africa, Employment section, the 9 January 2019.
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