Workplace stress is on the rise, and is a major factor in employee turnover. One way to manage stress is by avoiding it in the first place, by cutting down on uncertainty, overwork and that feeling of meaninglessness.* Give people specific, challenging, yet attainable goals. Two sure ways to raise staff blood pressure are the nebulous, impossible-to-achieve project, and the the pile of meaningless make-work.
* Measure productivity. If they know it's being measured, they know it matters - and how well they did.
* Make it meaningful. The more engaged staff are, the less stressed they'll be, and one way to motivate and engage them is to show them how what they're doing fits into the big picture.
* Reward them! Feeling unappreciated is very stressful.
