Communication Tames Stress Stress also comes from poor communication. Unclear expectations, false assumptions, and inadequate feedback can lead to increased, unhealthy, unproductive stress. For instance, if you ask an artist to render some sketches for a brochure, you may just want some quick pencil drawings. If artist tends towards perfectionism, quick sketches may take a week to produce because artist is putting much more effort into task than is required by your needs. The delay produces unnecessary stress for you and artist and may strain your relationship. A similar situation can occur with a customer who needs a rush order. You may gear up your entire operation to produce job in a week under tremendous stress, when customer might have been willing to accept two weeks for delivery. Make sure everyone knows standards and expectations before acting. Making things clear in beginning goes a long way to prevent stress later.

Quick De-Stressors Better time management skills and communication skills can transform stress into a positive experience. Here are some quick de-stressors you can use to keep stress from producing distress: * Take short breaks and build variety into tasks. * Control your physical work area as much as possible. * Develop a support system of other people with similar challenges and stressors. * Encourage and give positive feedback. * Cultivate leisure and non work relationships. * Take time for physical activity and keep fit. * Talk and play with your family and friends. * Do volunteer work.

STEP 2: Seek answers to these questions from stakeholders: a.What kind of company do we want to become? b. What reputation would we have? c.What contribution would we make? d.Would our services, products expand? e.Would our customer base change? f.How would our people work together? g.What values would we embody?

It is very challenging to craft a good vision statement. It must reflect present actions while representing desired future. It must factor in existing competencies while identifying what’s missing and how to overcome any limitations.

As you can see from above questions, company and team values are foundation for a solid vision statement. Values are standards and principles upon which behaviors and decisions are made. A true value is not something we are willing to compromise. Values affect our actions and choices. They establish how we expect to be treated and how we treat our customers and employees.

“If employees know what their organization stands for, what standards they are to uphold, then they are much more likely to make decisions that support those standards. They are also more likely to feel as if they are an important part of organization. They are motivated because life in organization has meaning for them.” Deal & Kennedy –Corporate Cultures, 1982

I highly recommend that a thoughtful value process be conducted before writing a vision statement. Every employee in your company already has a set of values that they live by. Values are very intrinsic and personal. If you can hold some meaningful dialog about values, you begin to see where employee priorities lie. By aligning employee and company values, you build an environment that is congruent. You build loyalty. We all want to work in places that reflect our personal values. For example, a perfectionist engineer who values high quality and thoroughness will soon feel discouraged, demotivated, and become unproductive working for someone who values quantity above all else.

Peters and Waterman (1982) say “Figure out your value system. Decide what your company stands for. Every excellent company we studied takes process of value shaping seriously.”

STEP 3: Hold Company Wide Values Discussions. a.Design an appropriate list of values (at least 30) b.Distribute to all personnel to prioritize c.Identify top priority values d.Train leaders in facilitation skills or use an outside facilitator e.Hold team discussions to define importance of top values f.Executives & employees discuss behavioral expectations g.Gain consensus of company code of behavior

Each leader and each team needs to define their own expectations. How will they put their values into play? What procedures can they agree to? How will they distribute responsibilities? How will meetings be conducted? What will be lines of communication? How do problems get resolved?

The results of a recent survey of American managers shows that clearly articulated organizational values do make a significant difference in lives of employees, as well as in performance. Values are bedrock of all company cultures. Working globally, values become even more important to understand and respect. Paying attention to values, discussing them, honoring them can build teams and prevent unnecessary conflict.

Successful teams create and adopt their own codes of behavior or team expectations. In next issue, I’ll outline how teams can best accomplish this.

Remember, to create a vision for your business or team, try four primary steps outlined in this article. Conduct your internal and external environmental scan, gain consensus on organizational values through a meaningful process, assess your stakeholders, and utilize a thorough process to respond to key visioning questions.