Stress in the company – how it sabotages collaboration and what really helps
Companies are no strangers to stress. It manifests itself in busy schedules, unfinished projects, floods of emails, constant availability, expectations from customers or management, a high level of personal responsibility and the dual burden of work and private life. While teams and managers try to manage all of this at the same time, it often goes unnoticed how much stress not only affects performance, but also cooperation and corporate culture – and sometimes even jeopardizes them.
Psychologist Guy Bodenmann (2016) describes how stress massively changes our behavior: We become more impatient, irritable, self-centered or distant.
This is also evident in organizations: Listening is more difficult, criticism is more quickly understood as an attack, small frictions escalate and appreciation falls by the wayside.
Resilience – resilience for companies
The term resilience comes from materials research: it describes the ability of a material to withstand stress without breaking. Applied to organizations: How resistant is your team to constant demands, crises or changes?
Critical events can increase stress – be it a reorganization, a change of leadership, a high workload or external factors such as market pressure. However, it is often the sum of small stresses that push teams to their limits. The aim is not to avoid stress completely – but to manage it together without “breaking under pressure” (Thun-Hohenstein, Lampert & Altendorfer-Kling, 2020).
Typical stressors in business
- Overload due to too many parallel projects
- Unclear responsibilities and roles
- Constant availability and lack of breaks
- Conflicts between departments or hierarchical levels
- Internal beliefs such as: “I have to be perfect” or “I mustn’t show any weakness”.
What companies can do
1. recognize stressors
Ask the team: “What is stressing us out the most right now?” – It is often not the big change process, but the small frictions in everyday life that drain energy.
2. talk about stress
Open communication is crucial. Managers should create spaces in which employees can honestly express what is bothering them – without fear of stigmatization.
3. plan islands of relief
Short breaks, “check-in” rounds, walking meetings or fixed focus times can provide noticeable relief. Small rituals have a big impact.
4. reflect on beliefs
Performance-oriented teams in particular need permission to not always be perfect. Ask: “What can we let go of without losing quality?” Is there a plan to do without?
5. strengthening resilience
Training courses and workshops help to develop healthy routines, recognize stress signals early on and consciously use resources in the team.
Conclusion
Stress cannot be avoided in organizations – but it can be consciously managed. The key is not to let it act as a silent saboteur, but to develop strategies for dealing with it in a healthy way. This not only strengthens the resilience of each individual, but also the stability and innovative strength of the entire organization.
Literature & Sources
Bodenmann, G. (2016). Before Stress Divides Us: Resilience in Relationships (2nd, unchanged ed.). Hogrefe.
Thun-Hohenstein, L., Lampert, K., & Altendorfer-Kling, U. (2020). Resilience – history, models and application. Journal of Psychodrama and Sociometry, 19(1), 71-90. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11620-020-00524-6
