Thank you to all of the ladies that attended the PWCI Network meeting in Seattle. Visit www.pwcinetwork.com for information on the Professional Women in the Collections Industry Network. Our network meets during industry conferences and communicates throughout the year via conference calls. Our objective is to provide a safe environment for professional leaders of all levels to meet other women in the industry and share valuable knowledge, experience and resources.

Reprinted From St. Alexius Employee Assistance Program - Supervisory Update - May 2008

Creating Less Stress in the Workplace

Stress is often a hot topic in the workplace. Some employees become emotionally upset about just about everything. Other employees calmly take almost any sort of situation in stride. Here are some useful tips in to help you to more confidently handle the stressors that you encounter.

Create Positive Working Relationships
Low-stress employees usually create smooth working relationships with practically everyone. To do this, find things you have in common and be friendly with everyone you encounter at work. Always be diplomatic and tactful. Never act impatiently or respond in anger, regardless of how frustrated you may feel. Expressing anger in the workplace usually results in feelings of resentment, and direct or sublet retaliation, both of which surely increase stress.

Learn What is Expected of You
Find out what is expected of you by your supervisor and your second level manager. These two people can make or break your career, and they can greatly affect the stress that you experience. When you meet their expectations you can simultaneously present yourself as a professional, and you will be able to decrease your potential to experience stress at work.

Structure & Monitor Your Performance
Each day before leaving work, write a list of the tasks that you need to accomplish the next work day. This quick organizing technique helps to prevent you from feeling overwhelmed by the work that you need to complete within deadline requirements and in a timely manner.

Set Goals for Yourself
High-stress people rarely take actions to accomplish their goals. Low-stress people consistently engage in projects and activities designed to achieve their short-term or long-term goals.

Here is a revealing test to discover how much time you actually devote to achieving your goals. First, write down everything you did during the last seven days at work. Second, on a separate sheet of paper, list you (a) three short-term career goals to achieve in the next three months and (b) three long-term career goals to achieve in three years. Third, look at your seven-day activity list, and note any actions you did that helped you to accomplish your short-term or long-term professional goals.
Typically, workers spend less than five percent of their time doing activities that will achieve their work-related goals. And, employees feel more frustrated and stressed when they do not accomplish their short-term and long-term goals.