From Stress to Success: 3 Ways to Reinvigorate Your Company

“Businesspeople are exhausted from handling more responsibilities with fewer resources in an effort to keep the business afloat,” Jane Walton said. “Groups have lost members to downsizing, people have been placed in roles they’re not suited for and don’t enjoy, and the results include low morale, absenteeism, higher health care claims – and a weaker bottom line for the organization.”

Jane Walton hates stress. Walton, an organization improvement specialist and executive consultant, has developed a three-step process to help business leaders and teams solve workplace problems and create positive changes that reduce stress and support individual and organizational success.

During her more than 20 years as a corporate leader and human resources director in a variety of industries, Walton became increasingly concerned about the negative toll of workplace stressors on both leaders and employees. The ongoing recession, she said, has magnified these problems.

“Businesspeople are exhausted from handling more responsibilities with fewer resources in an effort to keep the business afloat,” Walton said. “Groups have lost members to downsizing, people have been placed in roles they’re not suited for and don’t enjoy, and the results include low morale, absenteeism, higher health care claims – and a weaker bottom line for the organization.”

Her new process, “re:group, re:focus, re:engage,” guides leaders and teams through an interactive, holistic process of organizational evaluation and planning to create a focused, united, successful firm; a consistent, positive culture; and an effective, accountable leadership team.

re:group – a methodical assessment of an organization’s structure, culture, goals, roles/responsibilities and leadership, and workplace dynamics.
re:focus – the development of an organizational vision and focus, and an action plan that encourages participation, engagement and a shared commitment to identify positive changes.
re:engage – the action plan is implemented and monitored on an ongoing basis to ensure continued commitment and work toward shared goals. The action plan can include internal and external communications, strategic planning, executive/leadership coaching and employee training and development.

The results, Walton said, can be tremendous. “It’s exhilarating to see leaders and employees work together to confront and resolve stressors and genuinely reconnect as a group, because then, everyone wins” she said. “People want to love their jobs and make a difference through their work. My job is to help them achieve that.”