[Host's Note: Alan sent this with subject line "Who pays Dr Sven Hansen?"
and I changed the subject line. ..Rick]
DRAFT (Dated the opening day of the event)
ORGANISATIONS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR WORKPLACE STRESS
DR SVEN HANSEN
Organisations should not be held responsible for stress and its
consequences, according to Dr. Sven Hansen, Director of Salus Executive
Health. Dr. Hansen was speaking on workplace stress at the Safety In
Action 2002 workplace safety conference and trade show, which runs from
16th-18th April at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre.
The Event was opened by the State Minister for WorkCover, the Hon Bob
Cameron.
"There are gaping deficiencies in self-governance in most stressed
individuals. There needs to be a fair sharing of the blame," Dr. Hansen
says.
He believes that it is a mistake to describe stress as an illness or
worse’ - a disability worthy of compensation.
"It is not an illness," he says. "It can cause illness and tolerating it
as an illness is a conscious act of self-harm".
He says that stress is a leading concern for organisations, created by
pressure on people to produce growth and profit. He says that
organisational pressure could push people into dysfunctional stress.
"Smart organisations will create supportive and motivating cultures. It is
not appropriate for organisations to enter the complex inner realms of
life. The organisation should provide a safe, ethical and respectful
environment. The rest is not core business."
Organisations that choose to make use of modern knowledge can master
stress in the workplace, according to Dr. Hansen.
"Organisations that fail to assist their members to live and work
effectively with the reality of stress are undermining everything that
underpins a progressive, vibrant and stable society," Dr Hansen says.
"Individuals who do not 'get it’' are condemned to spiral down in top the
depths of irrelevance and dependency". [sic]
Dr Hansen describes stress’ as when we doubt our resources to cope with a
situation, making it very difficult to solve management problems. He
suggests that organisations use the word pressure’ over stress’ as a more
objective and useful management label for discussion.
"We can measure and monitor pressure -- both the pressures of competitive
organisational dynamics and the pressures we place on the participants
against norms." he says.
He says that stress is not a simple fix, nor is it inherently negative and
destructive.
"Most creativity emerges from the fire of extreme stress," he says. "Great
people of all times have learned to apply, weather, manage and grow
through the pain of sustained stress. In fact, the removal of stress leads
to entropy and the loss of human potential."
He says that the mind worked optimally with seven plus or minus two
discrete ideas at any one time.
Dr Hansen suggests that prevention would be best practice for
organisations. He suggests that organisations should select candidates
with the right resiliency’ for the role when recruiting. He says that
objective assessments should be included, such as physical health and
fitness, and foresees that even functional brain imaging (EEG or MRI)
would be used in the near future. New recruits should also undergo
rigorous induction into a firm.
He recommends that organisations engage consultants to provide
confidential counselling.
He suggests the use of resiliency training instead of one off stress
management courses. Such training would comprise a long-term program of
personal toughening.
He says that emotional intelligence’ should be measured and developed in
every organisation.
"In many ways stress mastery is an emotional competence."
He also says that organisations should include stress audits, wellness
programs, and pacing and rhythm.
Key Points:
a.. Living with no stress leads to entropy and decay
b.. Optimal stress is generally not comfortable but it helps focus the
mind
c.. Rising to the challenge our physiology orchestrates very positive
changes
d.. Optimal stress can be handled for prolonged periods
e.. Strain can be useful in short bursts to accelerate adaptation
f.. Periods of strain must be matched by periods of deep relaxation
g.. Burnout is a state of physiological exhaustion leaving the body, mind
and spirit open to rapid decay.
Now in its fifth year, Safety in Action 2002 will promote safer practices
in the workplace to reduce the accident toll. More than 4500 visitors
attended the 2001 trade show.
The event is hosted by the Safety Institute of Australia (Victoria
Division) with WorkSafe Victoria as the principal sponsor.
--"Alan Cotterell" <acotrel@cnl.com.au>
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