In early June, I received a text and then a call from the owner of a company I had done leadership development with. He wanted my advice and hoped I would be available to come to their office and run a meeting. I told him that I was self-quarantined, and he understood. However, his marketing manager and I could set up a Google Meeting and put me on the big screen in their conference room. We discussed how to relieve stress and fear with gratitude.
Stress and Conflict
He wanted to mitigate anxiety caused by stress, which was leading to conflicts among his staff. It should come as no surprise that these are stressful times.
My goal for the meeting was for everyone to pick one action to commit to. I shared that I would cover a lot of ground, so hold on tight. I covered how to identify and control an amygdala hijack, conflict resolution formulas, stress relievers, and gratitude.
We ended the meeting talking about gratitude. I had sent the gratitude sheet below to the marketing manager, and he made copies, which he handed out.
We went around the room and shared our gratitude. I heard I’m grateful for this team, time with my family, our leaders, my health, and more.
Gratitude
Looking back, I wish I had talked less about my other points and more about gratitude. So, here’s the point I want to make. Your team is experiencing stress. That’s a fact, and if you don’t talk about it, they’ll find a way to let it out, which may not be what you want.
You might not be able to control all the stressful situations and feelings in your workplace, but if you don’t try, how will you know?
What came out of the meeting was positive. All shared actions they were committed to taking. And more importantly, they thanked the owner for bringing the discussion out in the open.
Start a Conversation
If you want to start a conversation with your team about reducing stress – gratitude is an excellent place to start. All you need to do is copy the questions below, make it available to your staff, and start talking. You may be surprised by what you’ll learn. You’ll almost certainly make a positive impact, and that’s critical at times such as these.
Gratitude Survey
There are times throughout history and moments in our lives when it may be more challenging to concentrate on what we have to be grateful for, but if we search, it is there. What are you grateful for?
Name a recent work or life victory
Find a positive in a negative
What’s something that has recently inspired you?
What has the pandemic taught you?
Who is always there for you?
What’s your favorite thing about your job?
How to relieve stress and fear with gratitude begins with leadership
Stressful times call for calm leadership. It is a time for leaders to lead with a tranquil spirit. Serenity is essential. When a leader shows, stress, anxiety, and anger it’s a poison that spreads throughout the team. And, when a leader shares their gratitude it spreads as well. What seeds are you sowing with your team?
How Can I Help You?
I like to help people and organizations, but I have three criteria I consider before taking an assignment – I believe in what the organization stands for, I know I can help, and it looks like fun. If you have any questions, Contact Me.
So, does your business have a management training plan? Because, if not, many organizations, large and small, use my book, The New Manager’s Workbook a crash course in effective management, as the basis for their leadership development program. Check it out.
