Friday, April 8 th, 2011 1:00 PM 3:00 PM QUEST Boston 2011 Peak Performance: The Connection between Productivity and Stress PRESENTER: Elizabeth Glazer and Joyce Sattovia COMPANY: The Boeing Company
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On the Road to Peak Performance: The Connection Between Productivity and Stress Liz Glaser and Joyce Sattovia April 8, 2011 BOEING is a trademark of Boeing Management Company. Does this sound like a typical day at work for you? Please stand and follow along Reality is the leading cause of stress. Dr. Bowen White 2 1
Is this your organization s battle cry? What is productivity? Let s be analytical for just a moment: Productivity = Output Input where Input >0 Output > 0 2
Let s look at an example Task: Write a required document Results: 5 pages Effort Expended: 10 hours Productivity = 5 units of output per 10 units of input Quality plays a part Quality (Q) affects our productivity Represented as 0 < Q < 1 100% quality is Q = 1 3
Quality plays a part If we only have 50% quality, Q =.5 Let s focus on productivity In the best work we do, Q = 1. For this example, let s agree we are doing the best work we can do (Q=1) which means Productivity = Output Input 4
There are 3 ways to increase productivity 1) Input 2) Output 3) Input and Output Knowing this.is it possible to DO MORE WITH LESS? Using our documentation example We would have to increase the number of pages produced d (our output) t) in the same amount of time (our input) Say we increased our output to 10 pages in the allotted 10 hours Productivity = 10 pages 10 hours = 1.0 5
Knowing this.is it possible to DO MORE WITH LESS? We would have to decrease the amount of time (our input) for the same number of pages produced (our output) Say we decreased our input by 5 hours for the 5 pages produced Productivity = 5 pages 5 hours = 1.0 Knowing this.is it possible to DO MORE WITH LESS? We would have to decrease the amount of time (our input) AND increase the number of pages produced (our output) Say we decreased our input by 5 hours AND increased the number pages produced Productivity = 10 pages 5 hours = 2.0 6
Knowing this.is it possible to DO MORE WITH LESS? Mathematically, we are able to show what happens when you decrease input and/or increase output These mathematical results require actions to be taken if changes are going to result Let s have a little fun Welcome to the Incrediball Company 14 7
Stress, stress, and more stress! Doing more with less is a pretty unsustainable model. Mark Moschetto, VP WorkForce Software How stressed are you? Look at both dolphins jumping out of the water on the following slide. The dolphins are identical. A closely monitored, scientific study revealed that, in spite of the fact that the dolphins are identical, a person under stress would find differences in the two dolphins. The more differences a person finds between the dolphins, the more stress that person is experiencing. 8
Stress, stress, and more stress! 46% of American workers believe jobs are highly stressful Northwestern National Life Insurance Stress is always unpleasant. Brehm, Kassin, Fein What would a life without stress be like? I feel alive up here on Everest It was worth the stress! I know what you mean Edmund. 9
There are two kinds of stress Distress: - negative - most familiar form - causes anxiety and agitation - costs employers billions of dollars per year. Eustress: - good (positive) stress - can be motivational and improve performance. - describes changes or challenges that can contribute to an individual s growth and development. Eustress (Optimum performance) Performance Distress Low arousal Boredom Distress High arousal Too many demands Eustress. Consider the violin string 10
Distress What distress can lead to > Pressure Ability to Cope Distress Distress Acute Chronic 11
Acute distress Chronic distress Burnout Reduced motivation to do the job Cynicism Negativism Frustration Feelings of rejection Loss of self-esteem Loss of sleep Not feeling well A sense of hopelessness Remember! Half the people you work with are below average! 12
How does chronic distress affect productivity? Reduced ability to function Work less and less as part of the team Impacts performance and attendance Energy level drops Chronic distress causes negativity for long periods of time. What can we do about it? Gentlemen, why don t you laugh? With the fearful strain that is upon me day and night, if I did not laugh I should die, and you need this medicine as much as I do. Abraham Lincoln, during the Civil War 13
Why humor? Laughter in the workplace leads to positive consequences. Laughter suppresses stress related hormones in the brain which then decreases distress resulting in increased productivity! The light at the end of the tunnel... has been turned off due to budget cuts. 14
Humor boosts job performance A sense of humor is a valuable tool o Higher self-esteem o Less burnout o Less stress o Less current anxiety o Increase problem-solving and coping strategies Abel, 2002; McGhee, 2007 15
Developing our sense of humor So, all we need is to further develop our sense of humor to be less stressed! Let s start! Immunize against stress Laughter is great medicine protects and enhances physical & emotional health reduces anxiety, tension, stress, and burnout opens lines of communication and builds rapport facilitates learning and stimulates creativity strengthens th morale and teamwork attracts and retains good staff improves the bottom line 16
Humor helps even in extreme cases Let s talk about some examples How much job stress do you have? Enter a number from the sliding scale below that best describes you STRONGLY DISAGREE AGREE SOMEWHAT STRONGLY AGREE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 I can t honestly say what I think or get things off my chest at work. My job has a lot of responsibility, but I don t have very much authority. I could usually do a much better job if I were given more time. I seldom receive adequate acknowledgement or appreciation when my work is really good. In general, I am not particularly proud or satisfied with my job. I have the impression that I am repeatedly picked on or discriminated against at work. My workplace environment is not very pleasant or particularly safe. My job often interferes with my family and social obligations or personal needs. I tend to have frequent arguments with superiors, coworkers or customers Most of the time I feel that I have very little control over my life at work. Add up the replies to each question for your TOTAL JOB STRESS SCORE 17
How much job stress do you have? If you score between 10-30 You handle stress on your job well 40-60 You handle stress on your job moderately well 70 100 You re encountering problems that need to be addressed and resolved The American Institute of Stress Examples of incorporating humor Made a conscious decision to incorporate humor and fun Made presentations entertaining Used experiential learning Utilized activities at all employee meetings Modeled behavior 18
The end References o Abel, M.H. (2002). Humor, stress, and coping strategies. Humor, 15(4), 365-381. o Brehm, S. S., Kassin, S., & Fein, S. (2005). Social psychology (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company. o Holistic Online. (2007). Stress the silent killer. Retrieved January 17, 2011 from http://www.holisticonline.com/stress/stress_origins.htm o McGhee, P. (2007).. Humor reduces job stress. Retrieved January 17, 2011 from www.laughterremedy.com/articles/stress.html o Northwestern National Life Insurance Company. (1999). Retrieved January 17, 2011 from http://www.pittsburghhra.org/userfiles/file/carrer_bank/stress%20abstract.pdf o Posen, D.B., Stress management for patient and physician. Canadian Journal of Continuing Medical Education, April, 1995. o Sultanoff, S. (). Taking humor seriously. Retrieved January 17, 2011 from http://www.humormatters.com/articles/workplac.htm o The American Institute of Stress. (2009). Job stress questionnaire. Retrieved January 18, 2011 from http://www.stress.org/topic-workplace.htm o White, B.F. (2000). Why normal isn t healthy. Center City, MN: Haxelden. 19