That’s right: Stress and burnout can kill. Desperate and
depressed, the burned-out salesperson becomes a “vic- tim” able to make victims out of all those with whom he or she comes in contact.
“Burned-out workers become detached, cynical, suspi- cious, and even hostile,” says a University of California psychologist. “They begin to dislike not only themselves and the work they do, but also the very people they are supposed to be working with and for.” Some experts estimate that job-related stress is respon- sible for up to 80 percent of all worker illnesses. Heart disease, ulcers, and diabetes are but a few of the many maladies linked to employment. For instance, poor health cost U.S. employers over $530 billion in 2018 – not to men- tion lost pay and benefits forfeited by workers who stay away from their jobs due to illnesses. How can you make quota if you’re not out selling? Worse yet, the pattern of job displeasure and burnout can
spread contagiously from worker to worker to management, crippling the operations of an entire company or industry. Absenteeism, job-related carelessness, and job turnover all mean a loss of talent and training – of income and profit.
Obviously, burnout is not a problem for just a few tem- peramental salespeople who would rather complain than work. It is a serious menace to the professional lives of anyone whose job is stressful or emotionally draining. To the extent that it can get in the way of your sales success, burnout is a problem you must avoid or work to overcome.
What Is Burnout? Burnout has no simple cause. A grouchy boss, a frantic
work schedule, or piles of paperwork do not necessarily lead to burnout. A combination of unfortunate external circumstances and internal attitudes must be present to produce burnout.
Burnout is not temporary, nor is it easily reversed. A
three-day weekend or a two-week vacation can provide you with a momentary escape, but more is needed to overcome the problem. Burnout casualties are not poor workers. Even the compa- ny “star” may burn out under the strain of severe job stress. No evidence links burnout with laziness or inefficiency; these are the symptoms of the problem, not its causes. Burnout casualties are not weak “quitters.” Some
PERKS for a Healthy Sales Team KEN BLANCHARD
It’s a fact: Managers can make their team members ill.
The four factors identified as being
responsible for boss-induced sickness include: • Unpredictability
• Whittling away of self-esteem • Win-lose situations • Under-stimulation or over- stimulation on the job. So what can managers do to create a healthy work environment? Use the PERKS model.
The PERKS model provides five techniques a manager can use to foster the type of work environment that contributes to good health and high performance. • Participation. Employees are involved in the decision making process. This very favorably influ- ences their performance. People have a natural need to belong and to be involved in those things that impact their lives.
• Environment. In the ideal workplace, there are abun-
dant opportunities to perform well. Creativity, risk taking, and healthy lifestyle and habits are encouraged and supported.
• Recognition. Credit for achieve- ment is essential. Recognition helps people feel and act like winners. Catching people doing things right and recognizing these efforts – in terms of both verbal praise and tangible sup- port, such as salary – are essential for continued high performance.
• Knowledge. Employees perform better when they understand the company’s goals and can iden- tify their own roles in attaining these goals. All good perfor- mances start with clear goals. People need to know what is expected of them and how they will be evaluated. Once this is clear to them, their role unfolds and they are able to proceed in productive ways.
• Style. Good bosses manage people in a style appropriate
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to the level of the employees’ skills and commitment. That’s what situational leadership is all about. If managers use the ap- propriate leadership style – be it directing, coaching, supporting, or delegating – for the devel- opmental level of their people, everyone comes away from the interaction feeling, “I’m OK; you’re OK.”
Too often managers are around only for the honeymoon and the initial excitement as their people take on new responsibilities. They then disappear, only to return when a mistake has been made. This is when problems develop. The manager be- comes upset, and ZAP – people be- gin to “catch it.” Then they become excited and anxious (and ultimately sick) over the situation.
American companies pay $100 billion each year in total health care costs. That represents the second largest expense, after payroll, in all service businesses. A bad boss can literally make people sick. To cure this sickness – and cut related expense – I urge all managers to put more PERKS in their work environment.
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