University of Adelaide Programs 

The previous link: Stress Types, refers to a model by P.Cotton. Cotton also provides a blueprint for organisations to minimise occupational stress. Cotton's model contains the strategies listed below:

• Fostering a positive organisational climate 
• Supportive leadership 
• Operational management culture 
• Employee opinion surveys 
• H.R. indicators and productivity measures in performance appraisal
• Upgrade H-R functions 
• Early access to support
• Training on psychological health
• Other lifestyle options

The stress management strategy of the University of Adelaide follows Cotton's approach:

• Fostering a positive organisational climate, two of the approaches employed are:

• Awareness-raising - media awareness program to legitimise 'stress'.
• General support/morale programs - these are often informal and operate at the 'local' level. They can include happy hours and other social events to increase a sense of belonging. 
• Providing an aesthetic and comfortable working environment.

• Developing  “supportive leadership” skills amongst managers; training Heads of School on stress (legitimise it, recognition, early reporting and management)

• Fostering an “operational management” culture in relation to stress. 

• Using employee opinion surveys to guide initiatives and manage “hot spots”. For example, Winefield (et al) “Stress” survey.

• Using H.R. indicators and productivity measures in performance appraisal as a way of valueing people. This will follow the steps below:
• Performance planning & review; 
• Fair performance-based reward and recognition schemes for staff, 
• Communicate that people are valued; eg long service medals, praise in team meetings, local newsletters, etc.
• Review of Job & Person Descriptions when a job changes, is advertised or every 3 years;
 
• Upgrade H.R. functions. Three approaches are:

• Employee Management Practices
• Promote roles of all H.R. areas to University staff.
• Compulsory induction (job, role -including context, OHS, H.R.).
• Vocational counselling and retraining for redeployees.
• Encourage people to take their leave.
• Absenteeism monitoring systems.
• Management training
• Change management training - a comprehensive program must be developed. It should tackle corporate vs academic/professional cultures, conflicting or mutually exclusive value-systems and inculcate people-oriented management.
• Employee management training for all Faculty, Department Heads, Managers and H.R. staff.
• Interpersonal Skills Development (eg Myer-Briggs, LBQ etc).
• Corporate strategies and initiatives
• Improve all communications to improve understanding. They should be more structured and streamlined, to reduce overload, confusion and secrecy.
• Increase levels of trust, morale, optimism, loyalty, prosperity.
• Develop career paths and implement succession planning.
• Reduce number of reviews and reorganisations (or at least finish one before starting another);.
• Increase consultation and reduce timeframes.

• Early access to support. This achieved through specific intervention programs:
• Employee Assistance program (EAP).
• Mediation in the event of conflict between staff members. Where necessary, using an external provider.
• Setting up a bullying/harassment strategy. Develope policy and procedures, including sanctions, to supplement the existing EEO policy.
• Establishing networking/peer support/self-help programs.

 
• Training on psychological health
• Stress awareness and stress management skills for workers and managers.
• Define “acceptable” workload and working hours, provide adequate resources to achieve work goals.
• Time management training including how to prioritise tasks.
• Assertiveness training.
• Health promotion campaigns- “Smell the birds, Listen to the Flowers”. 

• Other lifestyle options -fitness, diet and healthy lifestyle. There is a plethora of information freely available from many sections of the media. It is widely accepted that there is a nexus between physical wellbeing and psychological wellbeing. Poor psychological health such as depression or anxiety, can cause or aggravate physical conditions. Also chronic illness may induce psychological distress, including depressive illness.

• Leisure activity programs - some activities that involve strenuous exercise, such as running, competitive sport, swimming etc., are excellent for general fitness and have a flow on effect when it comes to stress prevention.Those used specifically  to prevent stress include meditation, yoga and tai chi.

Clarify or distinguish between “academic” vs “general” duties (teaching); (also Use of Contractors vs providing opportunities for other staff);
Develop Career Paths, Succession Plans. 
There are a number of programs at the University that are specifically provided to assist managers, supervisors and staff members with respect to stress. Some programs are preventative, designed to avoid the onset of stress, others are remedial and provided to assist staff recover from the effects of stress.  

Some Useful Links

EAP counselling
Mediation services (information about)
Critical Incident Debriefing (CIDC) Service
Health promotion activities
 

Back to stress management page