Ways to Help Ease Team Stress and Keep Morale Up

What management course prepared us for a pandemic … and the stress that comes with it?

Almost every workplace and every worker has had to adapt quickly, thrusting employees into unfamiliar territory, often working in isolation at home (or, in the case of healthcare of other services where demand has grown, adding to workloads or putting these individuals into potentially risky situations).

And most of these workers feel powerless waiting out the current situation … hoping for a rainbow somewhere at the end of this storm.

Feelings of powerlessness are a universal cause of job stress in normal times, according to the American Psychological Association.

And these are anything but normal times. Most of us know at least one or two of the millions who’ve lost jobs or been furloughed. And while many organizations have worked quickly to evolve to the new rules of this game, we can’t help but worry.

As managers, we clearly can’t change the unknowns, but we can dig deep to help keep morale up and curb some of the unnecessary stress in this situation.

Here are suggestions to provide some stress relief for your team:

• Clarify priorities regularly. Talk to your employees often to discuss priorities. This is particularly important if tasks and responsibilities are shifting quickly or they’re getting directions from more than one person. You may want to start each morning with a quick chat with each person on the team. This shouldn’t be a “big brother is watching” kind of conversation but rather a “let’s talk through what’s on your plate for today …” talk.
• Set clear and realistic goals and deadline. Just because your organization needed this done yesterday doesn’t mean it’s possible. Talk with your employees about what it will take to accomplish a given assignment. As you talk through the job, consider if there are steps that could be done by someone else, or if some of the steps are unnecessary. Talking through these processes together will help you both understand when or if shortcuts are needed and will help employees regain a sense of control.
• Make sure employees have the necessary knowledge or resources. Do the responsibilities of employees exceed their knowledge or abilities? Have they been put in charge of something but don’t have the authority or resources to make it happen? Eliminate these frustrations by talking through the processes with your team to identify these snags on the front end. And be sure to support them as they admit concerns or inadequacies.
• Notice them and their work. When employees are in the office, it’s easy to see activity. When everyone is working remotely, often the only thing you see are the finished products or results. Take the time to view these things and comment or tell them about the impact their work is having. Ask questions about the process, any snags they ran into, and suggestions they have for next time. Talking through the work lets the employee “show” you how hard he or she has been working.
• Allow for work-life boundaries. With so many working at home, it’s easy to text, email or call 24/7.  While some employees enjoy this “always on” mentality, for others, it only adds to the stress. Set a good example by being mindful of your own work schedule and make it ok to “leave work” and make time for family or hobbies at the end of the day or on weekends.
• Be transparent in your communication. Do your best to stay positive in light of the unknowns in this situation. Communicate often and honestly. Point out the positives as often as possible. Videos are a great way to share important information or debrief employees.
• Encourage employees to move their bodies. Everyone’s normal routines have been altered. Encourage employees to get some exercise, to leave their computers. Try virtual yoga, a workout app, or remote Tai chi. Invite employees to share their resources and experiences. Create a push-up or step challenge where everyone stops what they’re doing at 9 a.m., turns on the same song and works out. Then share your progress.
• Boost employees’ happiness. From virtual happy hours to surprise care packages mailed to your team — consider unique ways to encourage communication and fun. I’ve read so many amazing ideas recently. A few to note: a show and tell as part of a weekly virtual team meeting; a shared Door Dash lunch delivered to everyone’s home office, or a video created by team members all singing the same karaoke song and then smashed up by a creative video editor.

Managers, there’s no rule book for what’s going on right now. But there are ways to ease the stress your team is feeling.