The 2018 Joint Safety Conference has come to a close, and as a representative of one of the hosting entities, I must say that I am absolutely delighted at the turn out; not only the turnout in number of attendees but also the absolutely amazing speakers that were invited to present. From personal excellence to the ultimate personal sacrifice; drugs to telematics there were topics to interest most everyone.
Being a part of the planning committee for the Joint Safety Conference was not only a privilege, but an honor. However, being one of those responsible for the success or failure of the conference is also quite stressful. Budgets, agendas, fresh topics and speakers to fit the needs of all the people we were hoping to reach… all of these carried with them a new and distinct level of stress.
The Joint Conference is over for this year, but the stress of the conference will be replaced with a new stress; a new task that needs to be accomplished, a quote for new coverage, a question on a contract. People have deadline stresses all the time, the question is, how does their ability to cope with stress impact your entity? And, as a follow up, how can you help teach them how to manage and deal with their stress.
The American Psychological Association has published an article which discusses that stress can have negative effects on all the different systems of the physical body. And we certainly don’t need a medical professional to tell us that stress takes an emotional toll as well. We have all experienced stressful situations. The key is how we manage stress, whether it is to avoid it or process it. As employers, we can help our employees by providing them the tools and education to address workplace stressors, and this information can be carried on to the home life as well.
Employees who are given training on stress management, and the tools to help with that stress management will be better equipped to handle the upcoming impending doom that is ‘yearend’, the influx of in-laws because of the holiday season, the water main break or the employee who walked out.
Our opening keynote speaker for the joint conference was Mr. Randy Anderson of E3 Professional Trainers. While Mr. Anderson’s presentation at our conference focused on pursuing personal excellence and perfecting the skill of communication, Mr. Anderson’s website, www.e3professionaltrainers.com , provides tools that can help manage stress. Mr. Anderson’s website provides tools that will help you budget your time, or help you become a better leader. Use of some of these tools can help employees plan out their day, and organize tasks in a manner where they won’t seem so overwhelming and attainable. By using a time budgeting worksheet, tasks can be laid out and prioritized; new tasks can be added so that nothing is missed or forgotten.
The SDPAA is also proud to offer its Members access to online training through First Net Learning. First Net Learning has online video training which addresses stress management, and the impact stress can have on a person’s ability to properly do their job. By teaching our employees how to first recognize, and then manage stress, both at home and the workplace, we can help those employees succeed, which then furthers the success of your entity.
As an employer, if you can teach your employees how to manage stress, and give them the tools and support to do so, they will apply these skills to all areas of their life. Once they are able to effectively manage stress, they will be able to be more productive both at home and at work. With balance can come happiness and efficiency, which in turn will make for a more pleasant work environment.
The SDPAA is eager to offer a variety of training opportunities and options to our Members. Already a Member and need help locating the appropriate training materials? Looking to be a Member so that you too can enjoy access to the variety of training materials and opportunities? Call the SDPAA at 800-658-3633 Option 2, or visit us online at www.sdpaaonline.org.
Lynn Bren, AIC SCLA
SDPAA Director of Member Services
