People at the top of any organization set the tone and culture - whether you have 150,000 employees, 15,000 employees, or 5 employees, stress can be a contagious disease. If you don't get inoculated yourself, you will spread stress throughout your organization, creating an environment where people get distracted, lose focus and an hour of work can take twelve.

Here is what you can do to help manage stress as a manager and executive:

• Manage your own stress response.
• Remember that a stressed employees are not able to do their best work and can lead to loss of revenue.
• Don't put unnecessary pressure on employees because you feel pressure. That won't motivate or help people be
  productive.
• Acknowledge employee concerns and insecurity regarding the economic downturn. Let them know how important
  they are to the success of your organization. Don't delegate this to other people. They need to hear from you because leadership sets the tone.
• Develop a communication process to inform employees about the current situation in your organization and apprise them of any changes . In the absence of information, people make things up, and start rumors which can cause low morale, conflict and loss of good employees and productivity.
• Be more available to employees. A common complaint during stressful times is that employees never see senior
  leaders. Spend more time with your employees. Don't invalidate their concerns, do paperwork or answer your phone while in conversation.
• If you are not going to be available for a time, and have work that is important to the success of the organization let them know. That way they won't be disgruntled and angry when they can't reach you.
• Inject some humor into your workforce. People feel more part of a team and less isolated under stress when they can share a laugh with their managers.

About Simma...

Simma helps organizations create more profitable cultures and improve individual and organizational performance. She is a consultant, speaker, and trainer. Simma is the co-author of Putting Diversity to Work (Crisp Publications, 2003), a guide for managers on leading a diverse workforce.

Simma is often called "The Inclusionist" because of her ability to improve communication amongst people who are different. She is quoted in various national magazines and news sources, including The Economist, Redbook, NY Times, Investor's Business Daily, First For Women, Human Resources Executive, Black MBA, MSNBC and Fox News. Her clients include McDonalds, Pillsbury, Lucent Technologies, Motorola, AT&T, Monster.com, Diageo, Stanford Court Hotel, and the Women's Food Service Forum. www.simmalieberman.com simma@simmalieberman.com