In our next article in the Stress in the Workplace series, we will be focusing on the Alignment of Expectations stressor, or, in other words, a misalignment of expectations between the employee and others within the organization.
What It Is
Alignment of Expectations stress occurs when there are conflicting demands placed on an employee by others within the organization. The conflict can occur because of the organization not having a clear understanding of the employee’s responsibilities or when their various work roles conflict with one another.
What Causes It
A misunderstanding surrounding the employee’s role can cause friction for the employee. If the organization, manager, and other employees do not have a clear idea of the employee’s role or responsibilities, there may not be agreement as to what the employee should be focused on. Oftentimes, an employee is given various tasks or responsibilities that not everyone within the company (or even on their team) is aware of. This can especially be an issue if a manager has different expectations for the employee than their team does. For example, if an employee’s team is looking for support from that employee, but their manager wants them to focus their efforts solely on their individual tasks, this misalignment of expectations can cause stress to the employee.
Additionally, when an employee is challenged to meet the standards of their job but not given the time or support necessary to complete the tasks, that can cause undue stress. For instance, an employee is tasked with producing excellent work but under an extreme time constraint.
How To Improve It
The best way to improve high stress caused by a misalignment of expectations is through conversation. As this stress is formed by the expectations of the employee, it should be the goal to understand why they feel a misalignment. It is best not to assume you already know the cause, but to gather information straight from the person who is feeling the stress. Asking probing questions, such as “How do you prioritize your responsibilities?”, “How would other people describe your role?”, and “In what ways have you experienced conflicting expectations about your duties?” can help get the conversation started. It is important to determine where the misalignment is coming from.
Once the cause of the misalignment is identified, action can be taken. Discuss ways in which the employee can address the issue in their employee performance reviews, 1-on-1’s, or during individual development discussions. Provide training as needed if an expectation of quality is not being met. Establish or amend policies surrounding requests and timelines asked of the employees. And make sure that the individual’s true role is agreed upon and communicated to all who need to know. Having well defined roles and responsibilities documentation can help everyone have a clearer understanding of what others do within the organization.
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As we continue the series on Workplace Stress, it is important to remember that measuring and monitoring organizational stressors benefits the employees and the organization. Healthy employees make for healthy organizations.