How to Become stress free Boss

According to Alan Murray, Deputy Managing Editor, The Wall Street Journal, once the initial adrenaline rush of a promotion wears off, more than 75% of employees experience severe job stress and anxiety because of the expectations management has put on them in terms of meeting deadlines and delivering quality output at par with, if not better than, their predecessor.

If you have recently moved up the corporate ladder, factor in the following to ensure a stress-free and effective transition in your new role:

*Develop team rapport. Informal, one-on-one conversations with your direct reports, before scheduling a departmental meeting, will go a long way in developing a friendly team rapport. It will also put you up to speed on projects and on who is doing what. Furthermore, understanding what motivates your people and communicating how their contribution will affect organisational performance will ensure that they remain engaged and loyal.

*Counsel and mentor. Your role encompasses more than giving directives. Ensuring the professional development of your team by counselling and mentoring them will allow you to build a highly skilled and motivated team. Once they realise that working with you will help them develop consistently , they are less likely to quit, even when enticed by a more financially rewarding offer.

* Delegate. Setting your own goals and doing everything yourself to ensure perfection may have served you well, but this habit will backfire when you are accountable for your team’s deliverables. Learn to delegate; this will free up your time for strategic planning, suggesting operational improvements and initiating projects that are profitable for the organisation and also add value to your portfolio.

* Establish authority. The trickiest part of your job will be to remain approachable, so that the team can voice their concerns and grievances, while at the same time ensuring that your authority is not questioned. Ensure that they perceive you as an intelligent and competent individual whose actions are driven by facts and not personal biases or moods.

By Sahr Nadeem Tariq.  The writer is project coordinator at a multinational company.

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