Introduction
It is hard to disagree that people’s lives would be much more relaxed and comfortable if not for the stress that a person experiences every day. Unfortunately, there is no such sphere that is entirely free of stress. Be it work, family, school, friendship, or any other area of life, people continuously get nervous because of several various factors. Being under stress is rather harmful not only for a person’s health but also for his or her ability to succeed in other spheres, which causes additional worries, and it becomes a vicious circle. At the workplace, leaders must address the emotional state of their employees and create a unique atmosphere and rewards that would contribute to their stress reduction (Workplace stress – general, 2018). The purpose of this paper is to discuss Larry’s situation, different stressors, perception of money, self-leadership, and workplace.
Larry’s Work and None Work Stressors and Their Consequences
It is evident from the case study that Larry’s life gets harder and harder. The reason for that is various stress factors that he has to face both at work and home, and that can have either positive or, more likely, negative consequences (Workplace stress – general, 2018).
The first stress factor is not making much money, which was normal for Larry before he started his own family but became a significant problem after they had their child. This stressor can either increase and worsen the issues in Larry’s family and even lead to a divorce or motivate him to finally find a better job. Another stressor, depending on the salary, is related to the first one and can have the same positive consequence (Workplace stress – general, 2018). The negative effect would be Larry’s spoiled money perception and dissatisfaction with his abilities and life.
Another work stressor is Alfonso Reyes having chances to take over Larry’s position. This fact crashes Larry’s nervous system and does not let him concentrate on his duties (Workplace stress – general, 2018). Worrying about this possibility for an extended period may either cause mental disorders like depression or motivate Larry to increase his qualification and ensure he is a better specialist and leader than Alfonso.
Finally, another factor related to his work is waking up terrified, not having a good sleep, and thinking of his job as something scary. Larry is constantly afraid of being sent on a job he cannot handle. This emotional state of tension can also lead to depression or anxiety (Workplace stress – general, 2018). Moreover, this stressor can significantly worsen Larry’s addictions to smoking and drinking.
Among work stress factors, some problems in his family affect Larry’s nervous system. Unfortunately, at home, the main stressor for him is his child. Because of the baby, Larry does not have enough money and also cannot spend time with his friends and get distracted from job issues. Seeing his child as a stressor can lead to weak family ties or even a divorce. Overall, the whole situation at Larry’s home is a significant stress factor – instead of receiving huge support, he gets additional problems and disputes.
The Meaning of Money for Larry
When dealing with stressors related to work and payment, it is necessary to analyze the person’s perception of money. Researchers note that this factor can have a significant influence on one’s stress level (The meaning of money, no date). As for Larry, it seems like he does not understand the real value of the payment. Before marrying, he used to spend his salary on entertainment with friends, without thinking about what it may be needed for. Because Larry’s family appeared too quickly, he did not have time to restructure his perception of work and income (The meaning of money, no date). Now he sees a lack of money and a small increase in salary as a serious reason for being under constant stress from hard work.
Larry’s Self-Leadership
While leadership, in general, is focused on how a person can influence others, self-leadership is aimed at managing and observing oneself. Being a good self-leader means having certain qualities, including self-discipline, knowledge, honesty, and awareness (Jeffrey, no date). Unfortunately, after analyzing the provided case study, it is unlikely to notice Larry having at least one of them. First of all, he is not aware of his abilities, strengths, desires, and goals (Guide to self-leadership, 2020). He just goes with the flow without trying to get to know himself. Second of all, it is hard to disagree that there is not enough self-discipline in Larry, which may be considered the primary quality that is necessary for achieving any success.
Nevertheless, it would be unfair not to mention there were some great achievements in his life. Larry graduated from school with good grades, found his first job, and decided to marry, which is something that not all men are ready to do even when they are middle-aged. Unfortunately, Larry lacks real motivation, which stops him from moving further (Guide to self-leadership, 2020). He does not study, increase his qualification, find some courses for leaders, or do anything at all to develop himself and change the situation for the best.
As mentioned above, leadership itself is aimed at guiding other people and helping them succeed. On the contrary, self-leadership is the ability to eliminate one’s weaknesses, strengthen the advantages, define the primary goal and make oneself move in its direction never giving up (Guide to self-leadership, 2020). Larry utterly needs to develop this quality to influence the situations, end up with the stressors and benefit from what has happened by learning his lesson.
Type of Reward Applied in Larry’s Workplace
After Larry graduated from school, he was granted a job as a number-three man on one of his boss’s survey crews. Then, his boss chose him as the only worker worthy of becoming a new crew chief. Thanks to the determination with which Larry was looking for first a job and then a higher salary, he received it and also earned his boss’s trust (Davoren, 2019). Therefore, the reward applied in Larry’s workplace is promoting the best employees.
Ensuring that the Reward is Effective
There are several ways to ensure that the reward system applied in the workplace is quite effective and will motivate the workers. In my opinion, the best method is to let the employees know that the rewards will be given only if all persons work hard to increase the overall performance (Davoren, 2019). The best possible way to motivate the employees is to provide those of them who have achieved the highest results with monetary rewards of paid courses for increasing qualifications (Davoren, 2019). Such an award is the leader’s way to express his or her appreciation of the particular worker and provide him or her with a possibility of growth.
Moreover, there is another way to motivate people to work harder, and it is related to the previous method. It is hard to disagree that climbing the career ladder is hard and long, but higher positions provide workers with more benefits (Davoren, 2019). Therefore, it would be rather effective to choose one or two employees and promote them once in a while. It is a perfect way of helping workers to increase their income and have their careers grow (Davoren, 2019). Finally, this is an essential motivation needed for the whole team to do their best.
Stage of Team Development
There are several stages of team development, and all members must pass them one by one to become a harmonized group with a high level of performance. Considering Larry’s work team and the fact that its members may address their boss complaining that he has no right to ruin their lungs while smoking, it is possible to determine the stage of development. According to the provided information, Larry’s team members are at the second stage (Five stages of team development, no date). They start to notice each other’s flaws and get annoyed by the habits of their boss or co-workers. Researchers note that at this stage, the employees “may even question the authority or guidance of group leaders” (Five stages of team development, no date, para. 13). By complaining in such a way, Larry’s co-workers indeed question his authority.
Reference List
Davoren, J. (2019) What types of rewards would motivate workers in an organisation?. Web.
Five stages of team development. (no date). Web.
Guide to self-leadership. (2020). Web.
Jeffrey, S. (no date) How to cultivate self-leadership to master your behaviour and realise your leadership potential. Web.
The meaning of money. (no date). Web.
Workplace stress – general. (2018). Web.