Respond to two or more of your colleagues’ postings in one or more of the following ways:Offer an example from personal experience that validates your colleague’s evaluation of organizational stre

Kevin       

I consider organizational stress to be negative and to be detrimental to a company. Unfortunately, for many companies, stress is unavoidable. Heifetz and Laurie (1997) claim that adapting to change can be quite stressful to employees, but for a company to succeed that company must change. I have often been tasked to come into a company to execute change, because that company is struggling. With this change, comes stress, but once the organization accepts the change, the stress is altered. Some believe that stress is good in a company and that it will motivate the employee, Nita (2015) explains that we should not confuse stress and competition. Competition will motivate, while stress can discourage and de-motivate.

            As mentioned above, I constantly face stress in companies where I work. Working as a quality manager in automotive, I am hired by companies that are struggling and need change. They are having a problem with their customer and need to get back to the processes they have set into place. However, to minimize this stress, often you have to butt heads and cause more stress at the beginning of the relationship. This stress however, is often short lived as you are attempting to bring the company back into their processes. Teaching the organization that while stress is bad, change is not bad, it is good. Once, they accept change and start following the process, the stress is severely minimized.

Heifetz, R.A., & Laurie, D.L. (1997). The work of leadership. Harvard Business Review, 75(1), 124-134. Retrieved from https://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cbmp/pl/72358314/72358318/f317b21d55d6627b7106671d6fdb393c

Nita, M. (2015). The new intelligence, the new leader, and the organizational stress. Review of International Comparative Management, 16(3), p.335-342. Retrieved from https://eds-b-ebscohost-com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/eds/detail/detail?vid=4&sid=3640587b-6d5c-49d8-a4a1-0662f266f4cd%40sessionmgr103&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#AN=110662842&db=edb

Brent

Organizational stress impacts, management, and methods

Organizations evolve as the market conditions change, competition increases, and new products emerge (Heifetz & Laurie, 1997). The stress caused by changes in an organization impact both leaders and employees equally (Heifetz & Laurie, 1997). Stress produces both positive and negative benefits to an organization. Stress is a catalyst to motivate changes within an organization (Heifetz & Laurie, 1997). The second benefit of stress challenges the status quo of cultural norms of the organization (Heifetz & Laurie, 1997). Both benefits of stress impact leaders and employees differently (Bucurean, 2009). Leaders that recognize that stress is different for both can support employees through the process. Managing organizational stress provides benefit to the overall health of the organization.  

Managing organizational stress

Organizational stress managed well provides benefit to the overall health of the organization. Similar to other challenges in an organization, recognition of the stress is a critical component to managing the stress (Heifetz & Laurie, 1997). Leaders and employees know the challenges confronting the organization. Leaders acknowledge the stress and identify the key challenges provide clarity to the employees (Bucurean, 2009; Heifetz & Lauri, 1997) The solutions to managing the organizational stress are both the responsibility of the leader and employees at all levels (Heifetz & Laurie, 1997). Employees that are not included in the development of the changes to manage stress have lower job outcomes and performance (Karatepe, Yavas, Babakus, & Deitz, 2018). The inclusion of the employees in the management of stress provides them clarity and confidence in the solutions (Heifetz & Laurie, 1997). 

Tools for managing organizational stress

The tool for managing organizational stress are specific to the leader, the employee base and the challenges faced by the organization. The leader’s leadership style and intelligence impact the ability to manage the stress (Nită, 2015). The first tool for managing stress is to step back from the challenges and observe the impact on the organization (Heifetz & Laurie, 1997). The observations identify patterns, employee-specific challenges, and prioritization of the challenges (Heifetz & Laurie, 1997). A second tool identifies the hindrance and challenge stresses for the employee (Karatepe et al., 2018). Hindrance stress had an impact on employee job performance and outcomes (Karatepe et al., 2018). The last tool focuses on regulating distress without negative impact on employees (Heifetz & Laurie, 1997). Leaders focus on a balance between employees inputs on the challenges, maintaining tension to push change the cultural norms and providing direction without solutions (Heifetz & Laurie, 1997). Leaders that have a high spiritual intelligence manages the emotional elements such as frustration, uncertainty, and pain (Heifetz & Laurie, 1997; Nită, 2015). Leaders adapt these tools to meet the needs of the organization, the challenges, and the leader's ability.

Conclusion

Organizational stress provides positive benefits to the overall health of the organization. The benefits are a catalyst to motivate change and to challenge the status quo (Heifetz & Laurie, 1997). Leaders minimize the disruption to the organization by recognizing the stress and including all employees into the development of solutions (Heifetz & Laurie, 1997). Lastly, leaders must adapt tools to fit the needs of the leader, employees, and stress of the organization (Heifetz & Laurie, 1997). 

References

Bucurean, M. (2009). Managing stress - The key to organizational wellness. Annals of the University of Oradea: Economic Science, Vol 4, Iss 1, Pp 112-116 (2009), (1), 112. Retrieved from https://www.doja.org

Heifetz, R. A., & Laurie, D. L. (1997). The work of leadership. Harvard Business Review, 75(1), 124-134. Retrieved from: https://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu

Karatepe, O. M., Yavas, U., Babakus, E., & Deitz, G. D. (2018). The effects of organizational and personal resources on stress, engagement, and job outcomes. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 74, 147–161. doi:10.1016/j.ijhm.2018.04.005