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Running head: WORKPLACE STRESSORS
Module Project 5
Aleshia Tillman
Liberty University
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Situation
Goodwill has been rapidly expanding around the country with donations from patrons or
customers for years. Goodwill does not only serve the community with donations by selling them
for lower prices than other retail stores, but Goodwill also helps develop individuals for work,
such as teaching people the tools to become successful in the working world, which is the
mission department of Goodwill. You have been employed with Goodwill as the district
manager on the mission side of Goodwill for about 3 months. Your job role is to manage and
equip the leaders or supervisors at the 5 locations that you manage in the southern part of
Georgia. You are looking to place and serve many people in the community, so they can develop
the tools to become more equippable and sustainable for work. One of the main organizational
projects that you are tasked with is reducing workplace stress for your employees.
Because you only been working for Goodwill for 3 months, you are still learning your job
role as a district manager. You have learned the mission, vision and value of Goodwill. As a
district manager, you not only have access to the tools you need for success, but also the
knowledge that you have to change someone else’s life. Upon observing employees when
introducing yourself to all of your employees at the locations that you manage, you observed that
multiple of your employees are facing workplace stressors. Overall, the employees lack the skills
to work as a team, which places them to become overworked and stressed in the organization.
It seems like the employees lost a little of Goodwill’s vision due to low morale and less
desire to perform their role according to their job description due to work stress. It is critical as
emphasized by the VP that you find a way to reduce the impact of workplace stressors, so all of
your employees can perform their job well. She reports by during this it will promote you to the
next level to learning your role faster and you will be able to lead all of your employees to
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success in their job role. You accept the challenge willingly and move forward to the process.
Process Improvement
In order for the organization to improve, all employees from all 5 locations will need to
meet to discuss and plan some interventions to reduce workplace stressors. In order to better
assist and work with all of your employees, it will require some serious intervention skills, so all
of the employees will be able to perform their role in a professional manner. It appears that half
of your employees are experiencing a lost stress due to workload and interpersonal conflict. It
seems like the employee's lack the skills in team building and organizational skills. It also seems
like the employees are being overworked, which can be reduced if all employees work as a team
in the organization.
There are ways to reduce workplace stressors, but all of the employees must be dedicated
to imply the tools that are given to them to reduce it. One way to reduce workplace stressor is to
cross-train, which all employees will learn from each other's role. “Cross-training through self-
directed learning utilizes modern technologies and resources to reduce job stress” (Doe &
Thoma G Reio, 2018). On prior jobs, you have learned that cross-training is a great tool to utilize
on the job, which can help build teamwork in the organization. Introducing health and wellness
into the workplace is another way to reduce workplace stressors. According to Williams (2014),
introducing a health and wellness program into the organization or workplace has been a link to
reducing the impact of workplace stress. After facitiling a variety of intervention and tools to
reduce workplace stressors for your employees, 2 months later co-workers began to collaborate
with each other by working as a team, and employees were able to serve clients in a more
professional atmosphere.The most important piece to reducing workplace stressors at Goodwill
Mission Department will have more to do with how the employees work alongside each other as
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a team, so the clients will be serve and place on a job.
Practical Application and Implementation
One of the main components affecting workplace stress is the lack of interpersonal skills
and workload. In terms of research, results have demonstrated a strategy, cross-training, that
can reduce job stress (Doe & Thoma G Reio, 2018). In order to reduce workplace stressors,
employees will have to be dedicated and motivated to use the tools to reduce it. Implementing
these tools for employees to use on the job will lead to the employees making an effort to
demonstrate these tools on the job or consequences will be put in place. However, in an effort to
reduce workplace stressors will be beneficial for employees health, interpersonal interactions,
organizational cultures, policies, efficiency, and their overall well being (Doe & Thoma G Reio,
2018).
The plan for the employees is simple. All employees will be required to cross-train in
each other role. A workshop will be led, so all employees in each other role at each of the 5
locations that you manage will come together to identify ways to improve in each other roles.
For example, all job specialists from Valdosta, Albany, Newnan, Columbus and Tifton will
collaborate with each other on what role they perform in their location. Everyone will provide
some ideas and tools to help each other succeed in their role, so stress can be reduced.
All employees according to their specific role will collaborate with each other once a
month to become a help for one another in their role of employment by doing a conference call
with one another. Recognition will be given to staff members who have exceeded on using the
tools given to them to reduce workplace stress. The leaders in each location will notice the
improvement by how they perform on the job. All staff will learn each other's role, so if help is
needed in one role, an employee will be able to assist the employee in their role if needed. All
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new employers that are hired in the mission department will be able to train in reducing
workplace stressors.
Discussion
One of the great assets of the intervention plan is that it allows staff members the
opportunity to reduce workplace stressors. Staff members have obviously been dealing with
workplace stress for a long time. One of the interesting things about the intervention plan is that
it allows all staff members to work as a team to decrease workload and burnout on the job.
Because you care about the health of all staff members, you are willing to implement any skill or
tools to better assist all staff members toward success in their job role. Ultimately, holding all
employees accountable for working alongside each in a team, so Goodwill mission, vision, and
values will be demonstrated in all 5 locations of Goodwill Mission Department.
Because you want to build rapport with all staff members, communication and close
relationships will be built amongst one another. You want all staff members to succeed in the
workplace, so you are willing to go the extra mile for all staff members to become successful in
Goodwill’s organization. decreasing workload and increasing working relationship will help the
organization expand and improve. In order for all staff members to become more successful in
their job role, workplace stressor will need to be reduced in order for staff perform their job well.
References
Doe, M., & Thomas G Reio Jr. (2018). CTSDL: The role of cross-training through self-directed
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learning in reducing the effect of career concern stressors in the workplace. Journal of
Organizational Psychology, 18(5), 53-65.
Williams, N. (2014). Creating healthy workplaces: Stress reduction, improved well-being and
organizational effectiveness. Occupational Medicine, 64(7), 561-562.
