Top 8 Stress Generators at Work Places

How to motivate and inspire employees to do great things? How to keep them happy and get the most out of them? These are the basic questions that run in the minds of most employers. But in their frenzy to motivate and inspire employees they do a grave mistake and loose most valuable ones to their competitors. Discussed below are a few of these mistakes that can increase stress among employees:

1.) Motivating Using Awards

The award system is out. It's really stupid and can create a biased atmosphere in the office. In addition not everyone likes to get awards in front of their colleagues, being aware of the fact that this might actually create a kind of separation between him and others. Awarding one always means that you are being biased towards others. So never award employees for their performance. Instead, sending mails of appreciation, encouraging them in person is a better idea. Anything monetary is not recommended.

2.) Celebrating Birthdays

Well, not for all, but most men don't like to be the center of attraction for the entire day. The very thought of this happening can make them go dull at work for the whole month during which his birthday is about to arrive. In addition birthdays are personal affairs and not many like it made public. If the rules of the office makes it compulsory to celebrate birthdays, most employees are likely to get insecure. Birthdays are personal affairs and employers should never force them on their employees.

3.) Forced Partying

Not everyone likes to party. But not many will complain if there are no parties organized from the side of their office. People can always party with their friends and relatives if they are party oriented. Organizing parties in the office is a real bad idea and can create fear psychosis among many who don't like such atmospheres. Unfortunately in most cases people who deter parties are the ones who work the best.

4.) Unnecessary Meetings

Meetings are required, but unnecessary meetings which are held just for the sake of it are bad. Such meetings are a waste of time and can create a kind of atmosphere in the office where employees spend more time thinking about what to speak and what issues to take up in the meeting rather than concentrate on their jobs.

5.) Presentations and Seminars

Unless really required, asking employees to take presentations and seminars is a real bad idea. Almost 80% of human beings don't like to take seminars and being forced to do so will only give them more reason to change jobs.

6.) Getting too personal

Don't get too personal to employees and never try to create a kind of home away from home atmosphere in the office. There cannot be one big happy family in case of an office. The office is a professional place where people come to work cause they want to earn a decent living. Most employees do not consider the office anymore than a workplace and don't want to consider it anything more than that. So encouraging employees to get too personal towards each other through interactions/partying/outings/team games etc. is really not a good idea.

7.) Internal and External Trainings

Unnecessary trainings especially those that are not work related are definitely a big no. No one (except for certain girls may be) like these kinds of trainings. Trainings related to team building, leadership, time management, public speaking, interaction etc. are stupid and should never be encouraged. One thing that management of any company should understand is that not everyone is same and not everyone can be trained to change their character. The management should learn to accept employees as they are instead of imposing things on them. If the job demands these qualities, the employees should have been selected in the right way (Some extroverted girls and boys will do). You cannot generate sugar, spice and everything nice in a single employee.

8.) Dress Codes

Having a formal dress code for some days and casual for others is not recommended in the least. This actually plays games with the mentalities of employees in a major way. It's better to select between the either of them and stick to it.

If you are one of the lucky employers who has read this article, make sure to stop any of these activities immediately if you are doing them already.

Author is the webmaster of http://www.outofstress.com, a portal dedicated to offering tips on various stress related aspects including managing stress at workplace