Stressed or Not Your Business Chemistry Might Be the Key

Stressed or Not Your Business Chemistry Might Be the Key Stressed  or Not?  Your  Business Chemistry  Might  Be the Key   In today’s corporate environment, workplace stress seems inevitable  â€" but  people  can  react to  pressure differently.  Faced with the same trigger, one person  may  remain  cool as a cucumber  while  another  melts  down.     A newly released  study  by the Deloitte Greenhouseâ„¢  Experience  asked more than 23,000 professionals about their stress levels  at work  and found  their responses to stressors  might have something to do with  Business Chemistry ®, a  system for understanding  individual  workstyles.  Deloitte identifies  four  Business  Chemistry  types:   Integrators  seek connection and bring teams together.   Drivers  seek challenge and generate momentum.   Pioneers  seek possibilities and spark energy and imagination.   Guardians  seek possibilities and bring order and rigor.   The study  found that  28  percent  of respondents  are  often or  almost always stressed. The top  stress  triggers  in today’s work environment include workplace errors, a challenging workload with long hours or multiple responsibilities,  and moments of conflict.   It also found that  Business Chemistry  type affects  how  individuals  experience stress at work, with Guardians reporting the most stress, followed by Integrators,  Drivers,  and Pioneers.   Coping Strategies   A second  study with a  sample of more than 17,000 professionals  found  people  also  cope with stress  differently, depending on their Business Chemistry type:   Action  is  the most  popular  strategy  overall,  used by 83  percent  of respondents  and all Business Chemistry types.  As the famous saying goes:  â€œWhen the going gets tough, the tough get going.”   Cognitive  strategies,  like considering  the big picture or thinking through possibilities,  are  also common.  Nearly 90 percent of  Pioneers reported using these methods to cope,  while  less than  70  percent  of Guardians did. This pattern was reversed when it came to strategies associated with doing more  groundwork,  like organizational tasks,  or seeking further information.  Both  kinds of strategies  involve stepping back from the  stressful situation, but the Guardian  approach is more detail-focused  while  the Pioneer  approach  takes a broader view.   Interpersonal coping strategies,  such as  talking to someone about  feelings  or  asking for help  are  less common overall  â€"  reported by just  47  percent  of respondents.  The  more relationship-oriented and team-focused typesâ€"Integrators and Pioneersâ€"reported using these strategies more than  others.   Overall, Pioneers are  the least stressed, and reported using  coping strategies  more than any  other type.     Next Steps   So what does  this mean for  business  leaders who want to help their  employees  cope with stress?  Try  to take  notice when your experience of a situation  seems  different from  those  around you.  You may think  something is a piece of cake, but others might need some time or space or reassurance to deal with what’s happening.     You may also want to consider how to make space for different styles of coping. Instead of looking  skeptical  when someone hops out for a quick yoga class or feeling impatient when someone else wants to slow down to outline a clear plan, recognize these as coping strategies  and  let them  manage their  stress levels in their own unique ways.     A  better understanding of how  others  cope with stress  can have a big impact in making your team more productive and efficient. Join Dana  Manciagli’s  Job Search Master Class  now  and get the most comprehensive job search system available!