Does A Low-Stress Work Environment Serve Your Best Interests?

How safe is it really to assume that a low-stress work environment serves our best interests?

Let’s say we push for a slower pace of change . . . less pressure to perform . . . a more relaxed, low-keyed atmosphere in general. And let’s say we prevail. Top management cuts us some slack.

Chances are we enjoy some temporary relief. Our stress level drops, and maybe we point to that as proof that the organization made the right move. 

We’d probably be drawing the wrong conclusion.

There’s a lot more evidence these days to suggest that slow-changing organizations are headed for the most trouble. Sure, we can do things to minimize stress for today—we can buy a little time—but we have to mortgage the future. We actually end up living closer to the edge.

It’s pretty obvious to people that the stress of a rapidly changing organization can be difficult and unpleasant. What’s not so clear to us sometimes is how much more trouble we’re in for if the organization fails to change. It just means denying the problems and delaying the pain. All we’re actually doing is postponing tough times for tougher times.

Given the choice, which is really in your best interests: being part of an outfit that’s struggling with all the stress and problems of progress, or feeling good (for the moment) and failing?

You can pick your poison. But the hard truth is that the stress of high-velocity change is here to stay.

Survival Guide:

Don’t fall into the trap of believing there’s such a thing as a low-stress organizations that’s on track to survive.

In fact, just the opposite is true.

You serve your best interests by aligning wth an outfit that’s got the guts to endure the pains of change, and by avoiding those organizations destined to go belly-up because of their desire for short-term comfort.

“The reason lightning doesn’t strike twice in the same place is that the same place isn’t there the second time.” —Willie Tyler