Stress Management Tips For Managers : The Pandemic Update – Managing a remote team in these unprecedented times is a challenging task. Especially for managers dealing with employees who are working remotely for the first time, it can get very hectic explaining and coordinating work.

At the same time, it is important to show empathy towards your employees because this is a new situation for them as well. Working from home in isolation to comply by the social distancing norms has led to many employees feeling depressed.

Handling a team in such a scenario while dealing with the pressure to deliver work on time can often create a lot of stress. Managers often notice that stress is taking a toll on their performance and affecting their decision making capabilities.

To cope with the ongoing crisis and prevent a stressful situation from building, managers must abide by the following stress management tips:

1. Conduct productive virtual meetings regularly:

One of the best ways to avoid stressful situations from arising within your team is to conduct virtual meetings often. It allows you to monitor work progress, collaborate on important topics and ensure everyone is on the same page.

There are some very powerful virtual conference software available now to help managers host productive meetings. Make sure to create an program and share it with your team beforehand so the meeting stays focused on the listed topics.

2. Communicate goals and deadlines clearly:

Often managers feel stressed when team members fail to fulfill their responsibilities or miss important deadlines. To avoid this, make it a point to always communicate every team member’s responsibilities explicitly within the project.

Clear communication can make the workflow smooth and improve work coordination. When team members are aware of what exactly is expected of them and the given time frame to execute it, it helps in avoiding any confusion and prevents stressful situations.

3. Encourage good time management:

Lack of time management can completely derail a project and cause inconsistency in work. It is a major contributor to stress and managers must practice good time management in order to prevent it.

It is equally important to encourage your team to manage their time well since working from home often leads to work getting procrastinated. When team members schedule their work well in the given time, it reduces a lot of stress for everyone involved.

4. Learn to delegate tasks effectively:

This is one of the most imperative responsibilities of a manager and must be carried out very skillfully to avoid a high-stress situation. Managers must have the ability to identify the best person for a task and delegate it well to ensure timely execution of work.

When managers plan and schedule work efficiently and assign it to the right team member, it makes the entire process seamless and enhances the chances of work getting done as per the set expectations.

5. Take breaks to de-stress:

As much as it is crucial to ensure your team members are doing their job well, you must take time out to indulge in activities that will allow everyone to de-stress. For instance, you can schedule a video call with the entire team to do a non-work related activity together.

Such breaks will allow everyone to socially engage with each other without the element of work and provide opportunities to develop connections. This is absolutely necessary for managers as it allows them to bond with their team and know them better.

Conclusion:

Combating stress becomes easy when there is clear communication, good time management and strategic planning of work. When managers allocate work as per the team member’s capabilities and show faith in their ability to perform well, it becomes easy to prevent any stressful situation from building.