The next time Tuesday at 10 a.m. rolls around, take a deep breath. According to a survey of more than 3,000 employees, that’s time when people are most stressed on the job.
The evidence suggests that Monday is seen a a day of catching up after the weekend. Tuesday is the day when people have to start to take action on to-do lists. At that point the weekend seems a long way away.
30% of the respondents say they often call in sick because they feel overworked. 40% say they would walk out the door today if they had a better offer.
If you’re a manager this is a concern as your top talent are distracted. Replacement costs will kill your bottom line and your productivity.
If you’re an employee, then is the toll from a stressful job bleeding into your personal life? And you may not be excited at the prospect of having to start a new job.
Here are some suggestions for making Tuesday a more harmonious time:
- Track what’s taking up your time on Monday. It’s very possible that you’re keeping busy but you’re spending too much time on busywork. One of the easiest ways to free up some time is to try to cut down by 25% the amount of time you spend on email. For more about this check out this article.
- If you’re a manager, are you clearly prioritizing your team’s workload. Some tasks need to be perfect while others just need to be good. There can be a huge amount of time spent going from good to perfect. Make sure your employees are spending the bulk of their time on high yield activities.
- Is there a culture in your organization where people either don’t ask for help when they feel overloaded or don’t receive help when they need it. Not everyone is busy at the same time. Do people see themselves as part of a team or as individuals who compete for survival.
Challenges in the workplace aren’t going away anytime soon. But you can change the way you respond to them. Why not enjoy your Tuesdays?
Additional Resources
Dealing with change on the job
