Is stress necessary for great business?
This is the subject for the 'Debate' article in the September 2011 Director magazine and two experts with seemingly opposing views present their cases.
The yes argument starts with 'Competition is the root of our success....' and the no camp states that '....there is a big difference between pressure and stress...'
Whilst it's an interesting discussion to have around a dinner table my problem with this as a debate is that both sides are making the same point. I believe that competition is necessary for a healthy society. I also believe that mankind has done its best work while under pressure (sometimes too much).
Problems only occur when the competition is too great or the pressure applied is so strong that cracks appear. This leads to stress.
Our tolerance to pressure will only increase when we are exposed and here in lies the problem. Different people have been exposed to different amounts of pressure in their lives so the point at which the cracks appear is different.
The only way to manage stress in a work place is to treat everybody as individuals. Talk to them, carry out appraisals and be observant. Then take action just as the cracks appear so that their tolerance level is increased but not dangerously.
Read the Director article
More interesting reading from the Wall Street Journal - Coffee Break? Walk in the Park? Why Unwinding Is Hard