Kansas City Star Logo

Performance anxiety creates insecurity | The Kansas City Star

×
  • E-edition
  • Home
    • Customer Service
    • Newsletters
  • Obituaries

    • All News
    • Local news
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • The Buzz
    • Nation & World
    • 913
    • Cass County
    • Lee's Summit
    • Video
    • Photos
    • All Sports
    • Chiefs
    • Royals
    • Royals photos
    • Sporting KC
    • Olympics
    • Kansas
    • Missouri
    • K-State
    • High School
    • Scores & Stats
    • NASCAR
    • Outdoors
    • NBA
    • Buy Tickets
    • Blogs & Columns
    • The Full 90
    • Campus Corner
    • For Pete's Sake
    • Sam Mellinger
    • Vahe Gregorian
    • Politics
    • Elections
    • The Missouri Influencer Series
    • All Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Influencers Opinion
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Colleen Nelson
    • Derek Donovan
    • Dave Helling
    • Melinda Henneberger
    • Steve Kraske
    • Toriano Porter
    • Guest commentary
    • Syndicated columnists
    • Submit a Letter
    • Entertainment
    • Ink
    • Events
    • Arts & Culture
    • Music
    • Comics
    • Stargazing
    • Puzzles & Games
    • Movies
    • Horoscopes
    • Arts
    • TV
    • Restaurants
    • Books
    • Star TV listings
    • All Business
    • Cityscape
    • Development
    • Workplace
    • Personal Finance
    • National/International
    • Technology
    • Kids & Money
    • All Living
    • Chow Town
    • Eat & Drink
    • House & Home
    • KC Gardens
    • Advice columns
    • Faith
    • Travel
    • Family

    • True Blue app
    • Red Zone Extra
    • Star news apps
    • Extra Time KC

  • Cars
  • Contests
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Homes
    • Place an ad
    • All Classifieds
  • Spaces
  • KC Weddings

  • Contact us
  • Mobile & Apps

Workplace

Performance anxiety creates insecurity

By DIANE STAFFORD

The Kansas City Star

    ORDER REPRINT →

May 15, 2014 03:59 PM

The spring 2014 cover story in The Conference Board Review, headlined “Performance Anxiety,” addresses a theme I hear often from workers.

People are less afraid of losing their jobs but more afraid they’re not meeting expectations. With fewer co-workers, they’ve been assigned more to do, they can’t do it all, and they’re not clear about what’s most important and what’s less important for them to do.

In a wide-ranging article, senior editor Vadim Liberman notes that repeated workforce “reshuffling” and the fast pace of change, particularly in information technology, are challenging workers to keep up, much less excel.

“When your employer plays pinball with your career, bumping you between positions, springing new tasks on you and stripping you of others, the fatigue alone makes it hard to strike targets,” he writes. “By the time you figure out the game, the corporate pinball machine will send you rolling in a new direction. Then your employer wonders why your performance isn’t where it should be, when actually it’s exactly where it should be.”

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to The Kansas City Star

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

Liberman makes it clear that the burden is on both management — to clarify goals and expectations — and employees — to be adaptive and juggle their time well and quickly.

That requires strong communication between executives and midlevel managers and between managers and the people who report to them. All workers and managers must understand their roles and how they fit in the big picture.

That’s the best-practice advice. Too often, though, ordinary performance anxiety, “a powerful performance enhancer,” is overshadowed by unsustainable stress when workers feel like pinballs, Liberman says.

He shares a partial solution: “The simplest way to boost confidence and engagement is to ask people for their opinions, something few managers do enough.”

To reach Diane Stafford, call 816-234-4359 or send email to stafford@kcstar.com. Read more from her at kansascity.com/workplace. Follow her on Twitter at kcstarstafford.

Videos

McDonald’s workers go on strike, alleging widespread sexual harassment

Warren Buffett's favorite company opens office in Lenexa

View More Video

Trending Stories

One killed in massive I-70 pileup near Oak Grove. Driver describes scary experience

February 16, 2019 09:39 AM

First Amendment ‘auditor’ injured during argument with security guard at LA synagogue

February 15, 2019 09:53 AM

‘Y’all made it!’ Blake Shelton rewards fans who braved snow with raucous KC show

February 16, 2019 08:56 AM

Quick scout: Why the Vegas line for KU-West Virginia surprises me

February 16, 2019 07:00 AM

‘A Nana to everyone’: Family mourns Missouri woman killed in massive I-70 pileup

February 16, 2019 04:43 PM

Read Next

National & International

Illinois House votes to raise minimum wage to $15 by 2025; Gov. J.B. Pritzker expected to sign it

By DAN PETRELLA Chicago Tribune

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 14, 2019 02:00 AM

Illinois Democrats on Thursday voted to raise the state's minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2025, a move that will give Gov. J.B. Pritzker an early political victory, grant pay raises to workers and upset businesses across the state.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to The Kansas City Star

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE WORKPLACE

National & International

After 35 years, former Southwest Airlines ticket agent gets her flight attendant wings

February 12, 2019 02:00 AM

National & International

Your Office Coach: Employee prefers data to dealing with public

February 12, 2019 02:00 AM

National & International

Liz Reyer: Is your productivity stalled? Here’s how to jump-start yourself at work

February 12, 2019 02:00 AM
Jury splits verdict in Channel 41 reporter’s race discrimination and retaliation case

Workplace

Jury splits verdict in Channel 41 reporter’s race discrimination and retaliation case

February 09, 2019 12:01 PM
As GM Fairfax workers get profit sharing checks, question arises about plant’s future

Business

As GM Fairfax workers get profit sharing checks, question arises about plant’s future

February 07, 2019 05:30 AM

National & International

Employees take lead on Target’s expanded Black History Month collection

February 05, 2019 02:00 AM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
Advertising
  • Advertising information
  • Print
  • Digital
  • Place a Classified
  • Local Deals
Copyright
Commenting Policy
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story