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Stress is the enemy of high performance. Sure a sleepy organisation is
rarely a high performing one but all experinec suggests that stress is
the most debilitating afflication rending high performing iniduduals incapable
of reaching their potential.
The Lifo® method Stress Style
survey helps individuals and teams look at how people behave under stress.
The tool allows them to compare their own behaviours in a business setting
under normal circumstances and how they change under stress. Once you
understand how behaviours change you can flex your working partern and
working environment to accentuate the positive changes and minimise the
negative which cause stress.
Here are some example so of stress and how they affect all of us. The
Lifo® method defines all us into
four preference groups SUPPORTING, CONTROLLING, CONSERVING and
ADAPTING here’s how each may react under stress:
| SUPPORTING |
CONTROLLING |
CONSERVING |
ADAPTING |
| depressed |
panic reactions |
withdraw and wait |
drifting, can't pay attention |
| self-blaming |
hyper-irritable |
find fault with others |
reassure myself that all is OK |
| worry a lot |
combative |
analysis paralysis,delay |
make unreal promises |
| complain a lot |
jump from one thing to another |
lose perspective,lost in detail |
feel slighted, unrewarded |
| keep hoping and wishing |
over-react
precipitous |
overly systematic,act too late |
make a stab at lots of things |
| dependent |
can't concentrate |
no response doesn't complete things |
over-concerned with status and other people's
opinion |
Perhaps more important than knowing how individuals react under stress
is to look at what causes stress in individuals. The following table shows
some common causes of distress as identified in the Lifo® method
Stress Style
| SUPPORTING
|
CONTROLLING
|
CONSERVING
|
ADAPTING
|
| Made to feel insignificant |
Checking up too much |
Lack of planning |
Demeaning critical remarks |
| Required to do meaningless work |
Excessive instructions |
Unexpected events |
Failures |
| Treated unfairly or dishonestly |
People failing to get things done |
Lack of guidelines |
Impersonal treatment |
| Violations of personal norms, rules & values |
Not receiving needed resources |
Too many and too sudden changes |
Monotony/detail |
| Excessive requests |
People needing everything spelled out in detail |
Ambiguous situations |
Social isolation |
| Personal criticism |
Lack of authority |
High emotions |
Loss of status |
| Ridicule |
Countermanded |
Changing rules |
Public embarrassment |
| Failures due to disliked own efforts |
Loss of power |
Forcing decisions |
No approval, being |
| Lack of support for ideals and values |
Unreliable people |
Accelerating schedules |
Inflexibility |
| No appreciation |
No reciprocity |
No reasons for or illogical requests |
Excessive structure |
How to use the Lifo® method Stress Style
survey with my organization
The Lifo® method Stress Styles questionnaire
is the basis of our approach by taking team members through what are their
own preferred styles and what makes them tick they can start to understand
what makes others tick too.
The Lifo® method Stress Styles questionnaire
used along side specially designed work exercises in a workshop setting
takes executives into real world situations based on real customer situations.
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