We earn more when employees have less stress

Initial situation

Tom, 53, took over the medium-sized company (4,500 employees at several locations) from his father and expanded it into a global market leader. He has prioritized the company’s success his entire life. Maintaining technological leadership and being successful in a highly competitive environment is what drives him.  His curiosity and openness to new ideas have brought him to the top, for which he needs the best people. Only the best minds on the market can keep the company profitable, but you don’t get motivation and the will to perform for free. The success of his company depends on the commitment of his employees, which is why he also tries to play a pioneering role in the industry when it comes to working conditions. He demands a lot from his employees, but is also prepared to invest in them, because only those who enjoy their work are creative and solution-oriented.

His customers come first, project completion is what counts, and it’s no secret that this is often stressful. He cannot afford stress-related absences from work or the dismissal of his knowledge carriers.

The workload is constantly increasing, and Tom is noticing a change, particularly on a mental level. His team travels a lot, so mobile working with flexible working hours wasn’t an issue before. In online meetings, colleagues are switching off their screens more and more often. Personal interaction is also no longer as open as it used to be.

Rapid relief must be found, a solution that is accessible from anywhere and at any time

The high workload cannot be maintained in the long term. Tom is looking for an offer that supports his team in being resilient even in challenging times. He is only prepared to spend money if a solution helps to increase the company’s success and brings added value to the top performers. Each of his employees should be met where the challenges are greatest.

Do Tom’s thoughts sound all too familiar?

1. As a manager, he feels responsible for his team. The top performers drive technology leadership and he is responsible for their well-being.

2. In a manager magazine, he reads about a new AI-based platform that works to identify and eliminate stressors more quickly and efficiently.

3. That sounds good, because technology leaders need innovation, so he can also motivate his team to work together to reduce stress and build or expand resilience

4. He books a presentation appointment to make sure that the platform also meets his requirements in terms of flexibility, motivation and increased commitment. He only wants to pay for a tool where he can be sure that it can actually be used by all employees.

5. In his company, it is also important that pain points that could put him at a competitive disadvantage are uncovered, because postponed and unresolved problems cost millions. Prevention is paramount!

6. What Tom likes about the platform is that his employees can use tools and resources that they can integrate quickly and directly into their day-to-day work. Self-efficacy is a must given the high level of flexibility! Bringing important resources, such as courage, back into his awareness immediately prompts him to make the first post on the company’s own platform himself. Tom has registered with his name, even though he recommends that his colleagues register with nicknames (i.e. anonymously) on the platform so that confidentiality can be maintained.

7. Solution orientation and future orientation are major topics that everyone is actively involved in consolidating. The high level of appreciation for the opinions of others strengthens the company’s resilience. A clear competitive advantage for Tom’s company. There is a real competition for the best ideas, and customers are also involved. After all, the most exciting solutions are best implemented directly with customers.

8. Internally, the topic of error culture comes up. Due to the open (because anonymous) interaction on the platform, colleagues repeatedly report that, despite the open handling of mistakes, they have experienced the opposite and have had to accept negative, derogatory feedback for mistakes. This immediately destroys the appreciation and trust of the colleagues concerned. That makes Tom a matter for the boss!

The result WIN – WIN – WIN

Satisfied and highly motivated employees make for enthusiastic customers. Active involvement and testing of solutions strengthens customer loyalty. The innovative strength of Tom’s company becomes even more noticeable. Working on resilience helps to focus on positive opportunities instead of the unpleasant effects of stress. In particular, the issue of error culture – which could significantly slow down innovation – became visible and thus a top priority for Tom and his management team.

The positive mindset strengthens the chance that solution orientation and future orientation can be lived with confidence. Mistakes are appreciated because they bring learning opportunities and increase the chances of further ground-breaking developments. The team expands its scope together.

Conclusion

– 15% higher productivity

– Resilient employees are flexible and can adapt quickly to a changing business environment

– Resilient employees are good problem solvers, obstacles are there to be overcome

– Mistakes are learning opportunities for improvement

– Resilient employees trust in their own abilities, they proactively contribute to solving problems