Nerves of steel? Why a little bit of workplace stress is good for you
Managers can improve productivity by hiring and promoting staff who are motivated by low levels of anxiety
In any workplace – not just in Hong Kong but around the world - you’ll find some workers who are highly motivated. Others are always there on time - but at the end of the day their managers sometimes wonder just what they did all day, because the worker doesn’t seem all that interested in their tasks.
Naturally, most managers will want to only promote the ones who seem to enjoy their job and are well motivated. Many studies look at what differentiates workers who are highly motivated from those who don’t seem at all bothered by working, and certainly not stressed by it.
In your office I’m sure you can think of examples - they are the ones who just seem to turn up every day for the free coffee and biscuits.
Deadlines cause stress and motivate you to perform well
Normally in our work life we try to reduce stress, and indeed those who induce it tend not to be promoted. However, a new study at UNSW Australia Business School found that a reasonable level of workplace pressure can lift performance.
At UNSW we have found that stress is not necessarily a bad thing, as long as the levels are not too high. What we have found is that up to a moderate level, a state of neuroticism can actually be a positive trait. It can motivate you, and ensure the job gets done on time, and certainly feeling a little stress can be better than not feeling any.
Other causes of moderate stress could include the potential to be judged, such as when you achieve the deadline for a presentation and actually have to deliver it. The pressure can be more intense if you’re presenting to the board instead of just your regular team. Another stress inducer is the prospect of losing face, such as if you are heading a deal which you are expected to bring in, but it heads south.
All these can be career limiting events, and you’d better get them right.