Rlchard Pettlnger

64 STRESS MANAGEMENT

Lack of value and respect

This is a major cause of stress in structured, bureaucratic and hier- archical organizations. It is compounded by knowledge, belief, and perception that those at the frontline are being asked to make product and service delivery efforts for which they will receive little or no recognition if successful, but for which they will be required to accept blame if they fail.

Such attitudes are reinforced by adversarial management styles based on:

» perceived random, punitive or impossible target setting;

» lack of attention to the total quality of the working environment and relations;

» persistent requests to handle the latest management whim or pres- sure; and

» use of individual influence based on rank and status to gain recogni- tion, a triumph or some other individual PR coup.

In each of these cases, dilution of the primary effort is achieved and this is perceived as reflecting the lack of value placed on the capabilities, expertise, and efforts of those at the frontline.

Burnout

The phenomenon known as ‘‘burnout’’ has come to be identified and understood in recent years, even if many organizations are still unwilling to recognize and accept that it happens in their situation. In summary,

THE STATE OF THE ART 65
it is believed to be caused by a combination of concentrated physical, psychological, and environmental pressures that render individuals no longer able to perform to any capacity at all in their chosen field.

The earliest defined examples of this were ‘‘shell shock’’ and ‘‘trench sickness’’ (see Chapter 3) in which soldiers found themselves unable to function at all because of the physical and psychological strains placed upon them by the incessant bombardments, killing, adversarial leader- ship style, lack of respect for life, and enduring human deprivation.

Many who failed in this way were simply shot as cowards. They were always condemned by people who had never themselves experienced the intensity and pressure of enduring such conditions.

This holds true today. High profile examples of burnout include:

» Agnetha Falkstog of the pop group Abba, who was burnt out by the demands of the industry itself–touring, recording, performing–and who suffered three ruined relationships as a result; and

» Gerd Muller, the German international footballer and scorer of the record number of goals in international and world cup football competitions. His career collapsed when he could no longer take the pressures of performing on such a high profile stage. He subsequently became an alcoholic and was declared bankrupt.

Burnout is being increasingly widely recognized in high pressure, long hours professions and occupations such as stockbroking, commodi- ties and futures trading, investigative journalism, and in social and healthcare, and education (see Figure 6.1).