From Lose Friends Radio comes this segment called ‘Stress test’, narrated as an excerpt from one of Jonar’s books. You can read the transcript below, or listen to the original broadcast by clicking on the green play button: [audio:BTB_37_Stress_test.mp3]
From the Lose Friends series, here is what Jonar Nader has written about: STRESS
I have devised a stress test called the ‘elasticity of command’. It enables me to determine an individual’s propensity to suffer from occupational stress. I draw on the analogy of giving employees a piece of elastic to measure the distance between them and the nearest colleague who can obstruct a project unnecessarily. Employees are then asked to compare that by measuring the distance between them and their commander (the boss) ⎯ whose responsibility it would be to facilitate a smooth transition for the project. If the boss is reachable and responsive, the stress level is said to be minimal. If the boss is unreachable and unresponsive, the stress level is said to be extreme. Stress becomes ‘frustration’ when those who can obstruct us are more powerful than our boss. In industries where everything is processed in real-time, we must be given the tools to make decisions in real-time. Using ‘elasticity of command’, we can see that the person who is ultimately responsible for work-related stress is none other than the boss (whether it be our own boss, or someone further up the ladder). Bosses, too, can suffer from stress if their superiors are unreachable and unresponsive.
For information about Jonar’s books, please visit the official website www.LoseFriends.com
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