Stress: Good or Bad for Productivity?

by Kathy Cooperman

What comes to mind when you hear the word “stress”?
Many people think of something negative, such as burnout or anxiety.

Stress, however, can be positive or negative. We need a certain amount of stress to perform at a peak level of productivity. The graphic below shows how the amount of stress (pressure) impacts performance.

After working with thousands of professionals in various industries, I’ve found the impact of different levels of stress to be significant.

Too little stress: boredom, apathy, disengaged, too relaxed, uninterested
Moderate stress (peak): “in the zone”, motivated, challenged, engaged, increased creativity
Too much stress (distress): burnout, overwhelmed, exhausted, defeated, worried

Optimal stress

The optimal level of stress varies for everyone. Think about situations when you’ve lost track of time while doing a specific task or activity. It’s called “being in the zone.” Others refer to this as “flow.” Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a positive psychologist and architect of Flow, defines it as “a state of heightened focus and immersion in activities such as art, play and work.” In his TED Talk, he explains that Flow occurs when a person is doing what he really likes to do. It’s when his skills and challenges are greater than average and when he’s pushed beyond his comfort zone. Some signs that a person is in a state of flow include:

• Complete involvement in what he’s doing
• Greater inner clarity (knows what needs to be done and how well he’s doing)
• Confidence that he has the skills required for the task
• A sense of serenity (no worries)
• Timelessness — thoroughly focused on the present; time flies
• Intrinsic motivation — the task or activity becomes its own reward

Implications for Leadership
Why is this important for leaders? Leaders want employees who are self-motivated and don’t require constant supervision. Providing just the right amount of challenge can help retain your best employees.

Three suggestions for leaders:
1. Get to know each of your direct reports. a. What energizes her? b. When does she light up as she anticipates, imagines or performs work?

2. Know their personality types. Does she work best under pressure, or is she more planful and deliberate when taking on a new task or project? Assess the skill levels of individual employees. a. How well is she performing her current role? b. What are her interests? c. What does she aspire to? d. In what areas would she like to develop?

3. Offer development opportunities.
a. Challenge her beyond her current skill level. b. Give her opportunities to work independently but be available as a resource, if needed. c. Point out additional resources that could be helpful, if she desires.

I challenge you to know your people. Offer just the right amount of challenge to keep them motivated, inspired and highly productive!

Kathy Cooperman, an executive coach and leadership expert, is the president and founder of KC Leadership Consulting LLC. For more information, contact her at kathy@kathycooperman.com, www.kathycooperman.com or 720.542.3324.