Frazzled. Argumentative. Withdrawn. Forgetful. These are just a few signs of work-related stress, and according to Statistics Canada, stress in the workplace is on the rise. While a certain level of stress is to be expected from time to time, incessant stress can lead to high employee turnover, reduced productivity, poor employee morale and general job dissatisfaction.

Read on to learn how to identify workplace stress, and discover how you can become part of the solution and not the root of the problem.

Sourcing stress

Unrealistic performance expectations, workplace culture, a lack of training and even your own management style can all create stress for employees. Add in today’s job security anxieties, the need to do more with less and increased workload due to budget cuts, and voila—the perfect storm for on-the-job stress.

The stress test

Take a good, honest look at your team and seek-out signs of stress. Are they irritable and anxious? Do they often forget deadlines or simple instructions? Are they frequently tardy or absent? Do they exhibit indifference or flat-out defiance? If you answered “yes” to one or more of these questions, then it’s likely that your employees are under the influence of stress.

It's not you, it's me

When your team is stressed out, it's time to take action. But before you recommend the latest self-help book, stop and self-assess. What portion of the stress do you own? Are your expectations realistic? Are you downloading a side of stress with the latest to do list?

You have the tough task of optimizing your team’s potential, helping employees remain satisfied on the job all while meeting the demands of your organization. While it’s certainly not easy, especially when times are tough, you can be part of the solution by following these simple steps:

•      Be proactive. Take the initiative to inventory your team's workload and assess their stress level.

Don't rely on your employee’s to raise the white flag when workload or stress levels are out of control. Look for the signs of stress, talk to your team and negotiate priorities when needed.

•      Make first things first. As a manager, you have the bird's eye view of your teams' workload and the priorities of the organization. When stress rears its ugly head, refocus your team on the most important tasks. When possible, reshuffle the workload and re-assign the deadline for other less important or less pressing tasks.

•      Listen. Meet regularly as a team, and touch base individually throughout the week. For a high- stressed team, knowing their manager understands their pressures and is committed to making their work-life better actually helps to reduce stress.