Why Workplace Stress Reduces Productivity
Stress can put a damper on motivation like nothing else can. Workplace stress is something most people are familiar with on at least a semi-regular basis. There is more than just motivation hurt by stress,productivityalso suffers a great deal.
Hard to concentrate
When you are stressed about getting a project started or finished, it seems to slow down the whole process. Some people have a very rough time actually getting anything accomplished when they are stressed. It can be difficult to make yourself sit down and focus on the individual sections that have to be done, when you are stressing and overwhelmed about the big picture.
Snippy
When some people are stressed, they become a little sharp with their words and even actions while trying to get their work done. Although this reaction is understandable, it doesn't make working around it any easier. This type of situation can lead to an almost hostile environment because frankly, no one enjoys being snipped at and will react to it. When people cannot work together because of some snippy behavior, this causes more stress and even less work actually getting done.
Rushing to meet deadlines
This almost always ends badly; rushing through a project just to meet the deadline and then ending up having to go back and redo a certain part (if not the entire project). By having to go back and redo work, this slows down overall productivity because now some people have to wait on the project to be redone before new projects can be started/completed.
Coworkers
Ah, you knew this was coming sooner or later, right? Coworkers can be a huge stress factor in the workplace. Very few people are lucky enough to only work with people they like and can get along with every day. In the typical workplace environment, you have coworkers you like and can work well with, there are the ones that you have no good or bad opinion of and then there are the problem coworkers. You know the ones; they complain, procrastinate and think they are the only reason the place is open. These people are difficult to work around and generally know it. They are the ones that can cause a real hiccup in the chain of productivity.
It is true that a department/company can be a well-oiled machine when everyone works together and works hard. It is also true that when the well-oiled machine starts to squeak due to stress, everyone can end up suffering in some way. Productivity is a major player in the success of a company and when stress starts really affecting that productivity, it is time for some resolutions.
