Managing people is tough. You're constantly juggling deadlines, personalities, and unexpected hurdles. According to Gallup, 35% of people managers report feeling burned out “very often” or “always” – more than leaders, project managers, or individual contributors. 1
Managers must find ways to relieve stress to be effective. Not only will it make managers better, it will be excellent modelling of behavior for employees.
Here are my top 3 stress management tips.
1. Delegate Effectively
Managers should focus their attention on only the things that a manager can do – and delegate the rest as much as possible. This does not mean delegating all your work, but it does mean delegating the work that your team can do for you. Yes, delegating effectively does take time – you have to decide what to delegate, who you can delegate to, and then go through the explanation of the task – but it is short-term pain for long-term gain.
Side note: If you were to do the math of delegating over a long period of time, for example a year, you would find that it ends up saving the organization a lot of money.
When managers learn the proper way to delegate, it not only reduces stress and saves money, but it develops the skills of the employees which prepares them for success in future roles and increases engagement.
2. Master the Art of "No"
Managers rarely go wrong when they follow the advice of Peter Drucker. One of his more famous quotes is “People are effective because they say ‘no’”.2 When managers don’t say “no” enough, it creates stress and leads to poor results. I teach managers that a key part of their job – and sometimes the most difficult part – is learning what the team should NOT be doing.
Saying "no" is a superpower for stressed managers.
Learn to politely but firmly decline additional projects when necessary. Be transparent with upper management about individual and team capacity. If someone is persistent, then negotiate what project should be removed to take on the new one. More than once, I’ve said to a C-Suite boss “here are my projects and the desired results and timeframes, which one should I take off to handle your request?” Managers who do this aren’t being bad team players or not helping out, they are being the proper stewards of the team and resources that the company has given them.
3. Recharge Your Batteries (Seriously!)
You can't pour from an empty cup. Schedule breaks throughout the day, even if it's just for 5 minutes of deep breathing or a walk outside. Disconnecting from work emails after hours allows your mind to truly rest. Prioritize sleep (aim for 7-8 hours a night) and healthy eating habits.
Think of it as an investment in your own well-being, and ultimately, the well-being of your team. A well-rested and healthy manager is a more effective manager. Trust me, when a manager is stressed out and burned out, the team sees it and feels it as well. It makes the team more stressed and worried. This ensures that everyone is suffering.
Conclusion
One last note – managers need to recognize between short-term and long-term stress events. Every life has times when things are more stressful – the last few weeks of a major project, holidays, etc. Great managers recognize these events as short term. It is when stress is not short term and bleeds in a state of “normal” that burnout and mistakes happen.
Remember, managing stress isn't a sign of weakness; it's a sign of self-awareness and strength. By incorporating these tips, you can become a calmer, more effective leader (and maybe even enjoy work a little more!). Now go out there and tame that stress tiger!