The reason most stress management training for business isn't effective is because stress management workshops focus on factors which don't offer a direct solution. Providers focus too much on education, theory and complicated strategies which aren't practical in the workplace. The result is that businesses lose money on the training - they pay the cost of the workshop and their staff are away from their jobs for a half or full day. The feel-good experience from the training lasts only a short while and employees don't learn anything they can actually use in the real world of business.
Businesses know that employee stress costs them money, both from reduced productivity and increased absenteeism. How much money? A commonly quoted number is $300 billion dollars (from a NY Times article on stress in the workplace). The solution would seem to be to provide stress management training, usually via workshops, but it usually doesn't solve the problem.
But, stress management training can be effective. Here are three important guidelines to be aware of when shopping for stress management workshops. They can stop you from wasting your money and can help you increase your bottom line.
First - Does the workshop focus on education?
That's a waste of money. People already know what stress is, what causes it and the effects it can have. We are inundated with that information from television, newspapers, books and now the Internet. Do you want to pay someone to teach your employees something they already know, that's not going to help you be more profitable?
Second - Does the training teach strategies that are simple, practical and effective?
Avoid strategies such as checking your pulse and comparing it to a chart, remembering a complicated multiple-step process, thinking happy thoughts or just relaxing in a quiet place for 30 minutes - they have no place in the real world of business. What is needed is a system that your employees can remember to use, that takes two minutes or less and does what it is supposed to do - getting your employees back to being productive.
Third - Does the workshop include practice or is it just lecture?
Humans learn by practice. Listening to someone talk and watching PowerPoint slides, no matter how beautiful, funny or inspiring, is not going to going to teach your employees practical skills to control their negative stress and save you time and money. What is needed is a hands-on workshop in which staff can learn - and practice - a few simple, fast, practical and effective tools that they can start using immediately at work to stay productive.
These three guidelines will help you invest wisely in stress management training, getting a good return on your investment and resulting in more productive employees and more profit for your company.
David Kenward, The Mental Coach, helps people succeed under pressure by overcoming the mental blocks holding them back. He works with sports, business, sales and performing arts. He also helps with health issues, including overcoming fears, phobias, post-traumatic stress, addictions and chronic pain. His work is fast (usually 3-5 sessions), effective and guaranteed. He also offers workshop on Managing Stress Under Pressure (and more). To learn more go to: http://www.thementalcoach.com
