A negative atmosphere strongly contributes to stress. Stressed employees are sick more often and lose their motivation to do their job properly. This is costly to companies. Managers are the first in line to turn a negative atmosphere into a positive one, increasing employee health and productivity.
An example from the animal kingdom
A famous example of how atmosphere and culture can influence stress among group members comes from a study by professor Robert Sapolsky from Stanford University. He has been studying stress in baboons in Kenya for decades. He observed one day that a group of baboons went looking for food at a popular tourist resort. Unfortunately for the monkeys, the food waste they found there was infected with tuberculosis bacteria. After eating this food, almost half of the males died. These males turned out to be mainly the dominant animals that probably consumed most of the contaminated food. Now that these were gone, the atmosphere in the group changed completely. The remaining males were only aggressive towards males that were one or two steps lower in the hierarchy than themselves. As a result, there was much less aggressive behavior in the group and the males were more social towards each other and towards the females. Interestingly enough, some new young males arrived in the group, and among these were a couple of aggressive individuals. It took these newcomers about half a year to adapt to the social and friendly culture within the group. They lost their aggressiveness and became as social as the other monkeys.
The culture of little aggression and abundant social contact has been handed down from generation to generation and was still intact after more than 10 years, when all the original males had died or joined another group. The baboons in this social group hardly know psychosocial stress and high blood pressure, characteristic of stress, does not occur.
Negative culture and stress in companies
Culture is something special about the company. Competitors cannot copy it, unlike a price for a product. It is essential to realize that the manager plays a decisive factor for the culture of a company. Style of leadership is instrumental for the way that employees deal with each other. A positive behavior from the leader makes it very likely that employees collaborate in a supportive manner and that any problems can be discussed.
A source of stress for employees is the lack of support or backing from the manager towards third parties (clients, customers, other departments within the company, etc.). If the manager does not sufficiently stand up for his or her employees and does not take responsibility for the orderly running of the group (department, business unit, etc.), the employees lose confidence and will no longer take initiatives to perform their work better or faster. They no longer dare to take action, but instead they wait for the next reprimand.
In addition, PhD research at the University of Groningen in The Netherlands has shown that many managers, both in senior and middle management, have too optimistic a self-image regarding their qualities as leaders or their knowledge and skills. An overly positive self-image of managers can lead to tensions with employees. Arrogant managers boasting about their qualities, without living up to their words, are not appreciated by their collaborators. The higher the rank of the manager, the less (honest) feedback from the work floor reaches the manager, as a result of which the too positive self-image is not corrected.
Conflicts between managers and employees and between employees contribute to a bad atmosphere and are a frequently mentioned source of stress. Bullying colleagues is another source of stress and is common. Research has shown that approximately 17% of employees are frequently harassed at work. Other research found that 7.1% of employees are bullied by colleagues and, sadly enough, by managers. 5.8% of employees appeared to be bullied by customers. Examples of harassment include belittling, sexual harassment, ridicule by colleagues and social isolation. Gossip may also be included on the list. It has a negative influence on the person concerned and is also symptomatic of a bad work atmosphere.
Sometimes the manager contributes significantly to the bullying behavior, instead of stopping it right from the start. This occurs, for example, when the manager feels that an employee poses a threat to the functioning of the group, as is often the case with whistleblowers, for example. The whistleblower expects compliments for his critical view, intended to help the organization move forward, but instead he is bullied and comes under great psychosocial pressure and stress. A good leader listens to the whistleblower to identify the problems and to see what can be done to improve the functioning and profitability of the organization.
Insufficient support from colleagues makes it more difficult to deal with stressors. The social network, which can help reduce the feeling of stress or make it possible to form alliances to effectively deal with a stressor (such as a conflict), is then missing. In some companies the performance of an employee is compared to that of colleagues, who become competitors as a result. Working together and helping each other then becomes a lot more difficult. Related to this, employees may experience a lack of appreciation, both by management and other employees. Valuation also relates to the level of income.
Bullying and conflict: two sources of stress at work
Bullying does not belong in a good working atmosphere. Conflicts will however occur from time to time, but these can be talked out and resolved. A good manager stops bullying as soon as he spots it, and creates an open culture to discuss problems.
Managers
- set an example and never bully themselves.
- correct those who bully, and point out the consequences if they continue.
- consult with all those involved in bullying or conflicts and record the discussions in writing.
- make specific agreements with those involved to stop the bullying and resolve conflicts, possibly with a clear time schedule.
- evaluate in a follow-up interview whether the agreements made have been fulfilled and what the results are.
- do not take sides, but reach a solution through consultation with both parties (or opt for letting the interests of the organization prevail if one of the two parties is clearly in the wrong).
- can try to get the warring parties to empathize with each other in order to promote mutual understanding.
- create an open culture in which everyone can offer constructive criticism in order to improve the functioning of the group or company as a whole.
In an open culture, an employee is more likely to raise his or her problems. Talking about these is better than calling in sick, as many stressed people do unfortunately. If talking doesn't help, or if the supervisor is bullying himself, an employee can call in a confidant.
Improving negative culture: managers, keep your distance!
The role of the managers in improving a bad atmosphere and in creating an open, positive culture cannot be underestimated. As said just above, managers set an example. This not only applies to bullying, but also to the way their collaborators work as a team and to get the work done in the most efficient way possible. Improving culture at work is hardly possible without involving the leaders, and appealing to their management style. Let’s see what managers can do to convert a negative culture into a positive one.
First of all, a positive culture can be created in which the leaders keep some distance from the actual work. This is to foster an atmosphere of trust, in which the manager expects the executive staff to be able to carry out the work independently. This may seem simple, but is not easily achieved by every manager. We have heard of companies in Belgium that even use private detectives to check what their employees are doing. A lack of trust cannot be more clearly illustrated.
Leaders, who see their employees as the capital of their company, are more inclined to let their employees exercise control over their work. Leaders rely on the abilities of their collaborators, whom they have hired on the basis of their qualities to perform a certain task. Leaders, who consider their staff primarily as something costly, will have more problems staying at a distance. They prefer to work with a group of people that is just big enough to achieve the company's objectives to save as much money as possible on salaries. In general, they put pressure on their employees to get them to do as much as possible in the shortest time possible. These managers therefore provide leadership based on their position of power and leave little room for the creativity of those who carry out the work. It goes without saying that employees suffer from stress in such situations.
Managers should also suppress their reflex to jump in when something threatens to go wrong. It is quite understandable wanting to help, but the result is that employees lose control of their work, which is one of the biggest stress factors. It is therefore better to stay at a distance, even if this is sometimes difficult.
However, doing nothing at all can be costly if things really go wrong. Leaders should at least keep an eye on the problem at hand and can, for example, try to get the employee back on track by asking the right questions. Asking questions gives the employees the feeling to still be in control over the situation by coming up with the right answers, which helps to keep stress levels down.
There is still another advantage for leaders if they manage to keep a distance: it helps to maintain overview of the work, the employees, the clients and other parties involved, which facilitates management. There is no risk in getting lost in details, and saves quite some time. Focus can be directed to the most important duties.
Managers, who direct on the basis of authority, skill and respect for their employees, are highly appreciated by employees. Employees feel the trust and backing of their superiors, and when confronted with challenging but realistic goals, their enthusiasm is bound to increase.
Open, positive culture
The low threshold to talk about problems or stress characterizes an open culture. In an open culture, people are treated with respect and bullying is not accepted by anyone. Also, helping colleagues becomes almost natural when problems can be discussed openly.
In an open culture, newcomers in the organization receive support from the more experienced staff to get started. They are not considered as competitors, but as colleagues who help bring the company forward. The interplay of youthful enthusiasm and experience helps to advance the organization or institution as a whole. Businesses will have an open eye for development opportunities, so that new talents, insights or techniques can be used for the benefit of the company or institution. A good atmosphere and an open, positive culture contribute to the success of the group, because employees do not feel inhibited by work stress to do business, to receive constructive criticism, or to present new ideas.
A positive, open culture is beneficial to companies, and should thus be implemented to protect the health of the employees and to increase productivity. So, what does an open, positive culture look like? Scientific studies have identified six characteristics that are hallmarks of a positive work culture.
- Considering colleagues as friends, and showing interest in each other.
- Providing help when somebody is struggling.
- Treating others with respect, gratitude, trust, and integrity. No bullying allowed!
- Avoiding blame and forgiving mistakes. We are only humans, and we all make mistakes.
- Inspiring one another at work. Coming up with new ideas to bring the company forward, and fostering creativity of employees.
- Emphasizing the importance of the work.
The characteristics of a positive work culture that scientists have identified show the importance of behavior of people, both bosses and collaborators, at the workplace. The first three on the list are all related to social support. There are many scientific studies that show that social support can help to reduce stress and anxiety.
Characteristics number four and five encourage people to undertake activities and invent new ones without fear. Entrepreneurship and innovation can only flourish in a stimulatory work environment, not in a suppressive one. Thus instead of punishing those who make a mistake, find ways to learn from the experience and see how things can be improved.
The final characteristic is that people are convinced that they are doing important and meaningful work. This stimulates the brain’s reward system, and increases motivation. Employees will feel less stress, are healthier, and more productive. An open and positive work atmosphere will therefore make a company more profitable.
