Rlchard Pettlnger

62 STRESS MANAGEMENT

The key quality required of managers is to acknowledge the real and potential alienation present in their own domain, whatever the nature of work, staff or expertise employed. Absence of identity is symptomatic of lack of confidence, faith, and belief in the organization and its activities, and this is both stressful and detrimental to long-term performance.

Managing roles

As stated in Chapter 2, role mismatch causes stress. This applies where the particular roles are over or underloaded, wherever they overlap with others, and where they are not valued, respected or rewarded in terms required and expected by the role or job holder.
Underload

Underload causes stress through boredom and frustration on the part of the job holder. This is the key to understanding factory, production, and service work stress. It also occurs where, for example, teachers deliver the same prescribed syllabus year after year; surgeons are employed to carry out the same operations without opportunity for variety and development; pilots fly the same planes, on the same routes, experiencing the same jetlag, delays and frustrations.

Underload also exists where, however satisfactory the occupation or job may be at present, there is no opportunity for further development or enhancement. A key general condition required is the provision of opportunities for variety, new challenges, and expertise development and improvement.
Overload

Overload exists where either there is too much for one person to do, or where the occupation is in fact dominated by one set of key tasks so that others are either neglected, rushed or ignored. Effective stress management requires job and work restructuring, if necessary

THE STATE OF THE ART 63
supported by the employment of additional staff members so that a better balance, and therefore increased overall quality of work, is achieved.

This problem is compounded when the overload is caused by having to attend to the least preferred tasks to the exclusion or detriment of others, and by having to attend to corporate, institutional or (in public services) political requests, the value of which is either unknown or unappreciated. Effective stress management therefore requires an active understanding of why individuals come into particular occupa- tions and professions, what they expect to gain from them, and the causes of greatest satisfaction and achievement.

Overlap

Overlap occurs where one role interferes with others. This may be at work, for example, where job holders are also union representa- tives, or where they have a specific project to carry out above and beyond their normal duties. Or it may be a work/non-work clash, for example:

» work demands eating into family and leisure time against the wishes of the family and friends of individuals;

» requests for non-work favors as the result of professional expertise (legal and medical professions have codes of conduct that recognize and limit the pressures that these place); and

» legitimate personal stress caused through having to make a genuine choice (see Summary box 6.3).