Stress that spreads in an organisation

In the bustling heart of Nairobi at one of our prominent insurance firms, Musa, a formerly diligent employee, lately began to display noticeable signs of discontent. Overburdened with mounting work and the feeling of being undervalued, he frequently aired his grievances in hushed conversations during chai (tea) and in the lunchroom. 

It was not long before his stress began to seep through the cracks of casual chats, staining every interaction with an underlying tension. Within weeks, the once energetic and optimistic team began to show clear signs of strain. Productivity dipped, the atmosphere grew heavy, and the vibrant office camaraderie that once thrived began to wane. The issue escalated, turning into a significant performance problem that even the clients and executive management could not ignore.

What management failed to recognise early on was the insidious nature of stress and how quickly it can traverse human connections, especially in close-knit teams. 

Musa's palpable discontent and the subsequent shift in the office atmosphere is not an isolated occurrence. Indeed, this phenomenon has its roots in scientific observations that delve deep into human behaviour and psychology.

But many managers tolerate complaining stressed-out employees thinking erroneously that a staff member should be allowed to vent frustration so that they get it out of their system and then calm down in the process.

Tony Buchanan and Stephanie Preston, leading psychologists, recently illuminated the contagious nature of stress in their revealing research.

They demonstrate that our reactions to stress are not just individual responses but can actually ripple out, affecting those around us.

Drawing from experiments in their stress lab, they noted that individuals tasked with public speaking in front of passive observers exhibited notable stress markers.

Surprisingly, these passive observers also demonstrated increased cortisol levels, indicating a shared stress experience. This physiological resonance, as the researchers coined it, suggests that the emotional and physiological responses of one person can deeply impact another.

While many might attribute this to simple empathy, the depths of this connection, as revealed by the research, run surprisingly much deeper. The nuances of human interaction, from subtle facial expressions to vocal modulations, can act as potent triggers, catalysing stress responses even in mere bystanders who may have very little emotional investment in the other individual.

This is not just about feeling for another person. It is actually much deeper about physiologically resonating with them.

As employees, such findings emphasise the importance of mental well-being and self-awareness. We all can think of someone in our Kenyan work teams who grumbles, complains, and exhibits clear stress.

However, recognising our own personal stress triggers and understanding the potential ripple effect of our own stress on colleagues is vital for emotional intelligence and self-development. It underscores that personal well-being does not just subside as a private affair but holds broader implications for the collective health of a team.

Managers, on the other hand, must proactively recognise and mitigate stress in offices, factories, the field, etc. By fostering open communication, appropriate feedback, and ensuring that workloads prove manageable and fair, executives can curtail the spread of negative emotions.

Training programmes that equip managers with tools to discern the early signs of stress can also prove invaluable.

Additionally, organisations must realise that employee well-being intertwines with overall company health. Creating stress-reducing initiatives, from wellness programmes and mental health days to fostering environments of positive affirmation and support, no longer exists as a luxury but a necessity in the modern business world.

By prioritising mental health, businesses not only create happier work environments but also enhance productivity and overall company performance.

In conclusion, stress, with its silent, pervasive nature, poses a potent challenge to modern work environments. As research unravels the complexities of human interaction and emotion, fostering mental well-being becomes crucial, not just for individual employees, but for the holistic health of organisations.

Recognising the interconnectedness of our psychological states becomes the first step towards building resilient, thriving, and harmonious workplaces.

Have a management or leadership issue, question, or challenge? Reach out to Dr Scott through @ScottProfessor on Twitter or on email at [email protected].