How can executives fulfill their commitment to employee health during stressful times?
When you ask employees to do more with less, acknowledge the impact of your actions to show employees that you’ve taken the human factor into account. Convey your consideration for both sides and rally the troops by assuring them that the company is doing all it can to make this is a short-term situation. Keep your finger on the organization’s pulse during stressful times by walking the halls and engaging in face-to-face discussions with employees. One CEO routinely handwrites more than 100 notes to various employees every week, thanking them for specific actions they’ve taken to improve the company’s business results or make the organization a better place to work. Employees will support your decisions if you communicate your awareness of their situation and show concern for their well-being.
How can executives mitigate the impact of stress?
Executives are often isolated from the work environment or receive filtered information, which prevents them from making honest damage assessments. To remedy this situation, many companies have installed a cadre of wellness champions, who serve as a sounding board for executives and even suggest ways to enhance productivity without compromising employee health. They also aid executives by communicating their dilemmas as well as their ongoing support for wellness when employees are asked to work longer hours or assume extra duties. Committee members may even let you know when organizational stress levels have reached a tipping point.
But overall, front-line managers are in the best position to convey the reasons behind executive directives and mitigate the impact on employees’ workloads, personal lives and day-to-day activities. Train managers and supervisors how to support a culture of well-being and give them mitigating power by allowing employees to work flexible schedules or take time off for medical visits.
What other actions should executives take?
In addition to surveying employee attitudes to gauge the effectiveness and sincerity of your messages, it’s critical to align total rewards with performance. When people believe they are treated fairly and are appreciated, they are willing to give more of their time and creative energy. Aligning pay with performance will also help to retain and motivate high performers who make consistent contributions to key goals. In fact, this may be the perfect time to re-evaluate your employee value proposition. In the absence of bonuses and pay increases, employees will respond to recognition along with career development and collaborative opportunities that foster a sense of well-being and reinforce the organization’s commitment to their success.
Kathleen Drummond is a senior consultant for the Change Management and Communications Practice at Towers Watson. Reach her at (858) 523-5663 or [email protected].
