Many executives have a heavy workload, feel pressured, and may even feel overwhelmed – all of which can cause stress. In fact, feeling stressed out is a daily reality for business owners and leaders across the U.S. and the world.
However, on-the-job stress is not only manageable; it’s avoidable. At Business Success Consulting, we work to find and eliminate stress points in business owners and executives working in every type of industry. Over the years, we’ve found that many of the things that cause stress are unnecessary and even avoidable.
Common On-The-Job Stressors
Have you ever experienced any of the causes of stress?
- Overwhelming workload.
- Too little time, too much to do.
- No or little assistance from others.
- A project that isn’t making the expected income.
- A toxic client or employee.
If any of these problems are a chronic source of stress – you’re in luck. All of the above can be solved.
Simple Solution for Work Overload
Let’s first address the issue of executive overwhelm.
Many executives take on too much, from the daily operations of a business to “big picture activities.” This causes overwhelm and may even make you work late every single day, giving you minimal-to-no personal time.
The most common reason for this particular source of stress is a poor delegation of tasks. When you hire an employee, he or she has a defined set of duties and responsibilities. However, when you are a business owner or executive, your job is rarely strictly defined. Therefore, you often hang on to responsibilities that should have been passed to one of your employees.
A quick and easy solution for workplace overwhelm is to:
a) Get your job fully defined. This can be a struggle if you are a business owner – and it may even evolve as your business grows and as you hire employees.
b) Delegate every function that you do which is not part of your job description.
c) Create a daily/weekly/monthly schedule for each task for which you are responsible. You may want to hire someone to help you keep on-task and on-schedule. It can be hard to stay true to your goals if you are constantly being interrupted by employees or other executives who still expect you to do the tasks you have now delegated.
d) As a long-term solution, create a training program for every new employee, so you don’t have to train them on each task personally when one employee moves on and you’re ready to hire a replacement.
You can absolutely expand this plan of attack, but this article is dedicated to giving you a quick and easy solution for your workload issues. If you are in need of a more fully defined planning session, be sure to contact our consultants here at Business Success Consulting Group. We offer executive and organizational consulting for harried or overwhelmed business owners or executives in every industry.
Rapid Resolution of Financial Stress
Finances are one of the leading causes of stress in individuals and businesses. The last thing any company wants is to pour money into something that isn’t making money in return. Projects or products that don’t make money can bring on a lot of hair pulling and long nights for both executives and employees. That’s why we’ve provided a rapid fix for such issues:
a) When it comes to projects or products that lose your business money, you have two choices. First is to take the loss and end the project/product run. The second is to invest in marketing and make strategic changes to make the project successful.
Both decisions come with their own set of risks. You can cut the project, which will mean you’ve lost money and you cannot recover that money through the same source. You can promote the project/product, garnering buyers and then deliver what was promised. This may cost more money, but from there the project can be managed closely so that it is made to turn a profit.
b) In the case of continuing the project, it’s important to tightly manage the promotional activities by using tried and true techniques and to keep the money spent under control. Ideally, the project/product should make the money to support itself before it gets too far off the launching pad.
c) As you continue the project, don’t spend one extra penny beyond what you have set aside for that task. No one in the project or making the product should be getting a corner office or bonuses until you begin to see returns.
d) Get the project/product delivered. At this point, you should see a profit. If not, you need to find out what else is going on. Are your salespeople providing unauthorized discounts? Is your staff heading out on beach trips instead of selling or delivering? There is a reason this product/project isn’t making money.
Any new product or project launch can be intense and may take up extra time, but it doesn’t need to be stressful. Pinpointing the actual problems or over-expenditures will help relieve stress and get your project profitable.
Are financial stressors a big part of your daily life? It’s time for you to take advantage of the financial consulting we offer at Business Success Consulting Group.
Quick Relief from Employee/Client Issues
Many business executives hire employees or take on customers who are less than ideal. This is usually done at a time of desperation – when they feel they need someone, anyone as a client or employee. Here is a quick and easy way to resolve issues involving trouble employees and clients:
a) Define what the exact problem is. It may be that you have a client who will still only work with you – the business owner – and is unwilling to be transferred to a competent employee. It could be that you have an employee who doesn’t work well with others or who seems to always be in a state of crisis.
Getting the precise issue defined will help remove some of the feelings of overwhelm and stress associated with the particular person or business with whom you are working.
b) Decide if you are willing to:
- Fire them
- Do something to change their behavior
- Change out the individual who is managing them
No matter how much dread you may feel when it comes to doing something to change the situation, a change must be made. The above three options are the most common solutions to a toxic or troublesome employee or client.
c) Do the action you have chosen in “B” above. You may need to line up a replacement client or employee beforehand or you may have to have a few talks/consultations with the difficult person. If you need back up, be sure to choose a neutral person to help you script out what you will say and help you anticipate any poor reaction you may get.
d) Create a policy which keeps you from hiring/taking on such employees or clients in the future.
Personnel and inter-personal relationships can be some of the most difficult issues to face up to, but their resolution can be a huge stress reliever.
Let us know how we can reduce your stress levels! Contact Business Success Consulting Group for coaching or consulting. We are here to help.
