As an embedded journalist will see stress and fear at work on the battlefield, the « embbeded consultant » will see fear and stress at the workplace or might even be the victim of these.
Causes of stress are common place (lack of organization, bad management, lack of competency, pressure to achieve unachievable objectives, and so on). Among these causes I will single out two of them and represent them as pyramids. The answer to these causes will be reached by inverting the pyramids.1) Top down pressure in a hierarchical structure
Stress is generated when pressure cascades down the organizational pyramid. And a good manager should try to protect his/her team from such pressure. To change pressure into supportive behavior, Charles Handy came up with the concept of the inverted pyramid, by having those in contact with client positioned at the top of the organization and all other members supporting them.
Traditional organization
Inverted pyramid organization
2 ) High objectives narrow means
Another cause of stress, is having to achieve high or very high objectives with reduced means.
Instead of always focusing on objectives, even though it's important to define SMART objectives (Specific, Measurable, Accepted, Realistic, Timebound) to guide action, organizations should focus on broadening their means base, and reducing or focusing their objectives.
Traditional situation: inverted pyramid of objectives and means
Reduced objectives enlarged means “pyramid”
You may say, these solutions seem too simple, and what about the competition? Sure, we are not going to change the nature of man and the behavior of markets, yet it has been demonstrated that when workers feel good and safe at work, they will work harder, better, and in a more efficient way.
Why not giving it a try, individually and collectively?
