About Mind Tools Membership Corporate Services Tool Explorer Contact Us Newsletter 292 July 2, 2013 In This Issue... The JD-R Model Using Affirmations The PERMA Model Flourish, By Martin Seligman Ben-Shahar's Happiness Model Find us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter   Support Your Team with "Job Positives" If you know what causes stress for your people, there's a lot that you can do - often inexpensively - to provide support. This week's featured article looks at the Job Demand-Resources (JD-R) Model. This helps you understand what causes your team stress, and explains how you can use "job positives" to improve people's well-being. We then explore the PERMA Model and Affirmations - approaches that you and your people can use to boost happiness. Enjoy this newsletter!         James Manktelow and Rachel Thompson MindTools.com - Essential skills for an excellent career!     Featured Resources at Mind Tools The JD-R Model Analyzing and Improving Employee Well-Being Use this model to improve your team's well-being and engagement. All Readers' Skill-Builder Using Affirmations Harnessing Positive Thinking Learn how to use this simple technique to make positive changes to your life. All Readers' Skill-Builder The PERMA Model Bringing Well-Being and Happiness to Your Life Discover the five essential elements of well-being, so that you can flourish in your life and in your career. All Readers' Skill-Builder   ... And From the Mind Tools Club Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-Being, By Martin Seligman This book explores strategies and exercises that can help you lead a more fulfilling life. Learn more about it here. Premium Members' Book Insight Ben-Shahar's Happiness Model Finding the Right Path to Happiness Are you happy? It's a simple question, but one that often has a complex answer. Use this model to find more happiness in your life. All Members' Skill-Builder Building Your Self-Confidence Confidence is key to so many aspects of success. Work through the four steps outlined here and start building your confidence today. All Members' Bite-Sized Training Working in a Matrix Organization Working Effectively With Several Bosses Learn how to work effectively when you have multiple managers. All Members' Skill-Builder   Training and Development Managers! Looking for content for your learning program or LMS? Get 1000+ training resources from Mind Tools Corporate. Find Out More Now >>   Editors' Choice Article The JD-R Model Analyzing and Improving Employee Well-Being Indira works in a high-pressure role. However, she is rarely stressed or upset by this - in fact, she thrives, despite the demands of her job. One reason for this is that her boss and her organization are so supportive. They provide a comfortable working environment, frequent mentoring and development opportunities, and regular constructive feedback. Indira is also friends with many of her colleagues, and she sets aside time each week to meet them for coffee. Indira's situation illustrates the idea behind the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) Model. A positive working environment can reduce work-related stress. © iStockphoto/Graugaard This model states that even if you work in a demanding role, you can experience less stress if your organization provides resources to support you. Note: The word "resources" is confusing here, as it has a different meaning (we'll define this below) from its everyday one. For the rest of this article, we'll use the term "job positives" alongside it. In this article, we'll look at the JD-R Model, and discuss how you can use it to analyze and improve your team's well-being and engagement. About the Model Researchers Arnold Bakker and Evangelia Demerouti developed the JD-R Model in 2006, publishing their findings in The Journal of Managerial Psychology. They developed the model as an alternative to existing models of employee well-being. In their opinion, these only addressed a limited number of variables, and did not apply to all people or industries. To address these perceived limitations, Bakker and Demerouti's model included a wide range of demands and resources/job positives that could fit any occupation and industry. The model puts working conditions into two categories - job demands and job resources: Job demands are the physical or emotional stressors in your role. These include time pressures, a heavy workload, a stressful working environment, role ambiguity, emotional labor, and poor relationships. Job resources (job positives) are the physical, social, or organizational factors that help you achieve goals, and reduce stress. They include autonomy, strong working relationships, opportunities for advancement, coaching and mentoring, and learning and development. The JD-R Model states that when job demands are high and job positives are low, stress and burnout are common. Conversely, good job positives can offset the effects of extreme job demands, and encourage motivation and engagement. Uses of the Model The JD-R Model, shown in figure 1 below, can help you understand and respond to your team's needs. Figure 1 - The JD-R Model Diagram reproduced from Bakker and Demerouti (2006), © Emerald Publishing Group. For example, if job demands are high and resources are low, your team members are more likely to experience greater levels of stress. You're likely to see high absenteeism and high employee turnover as a result. In this situation, you should work to increase job positives. By doing this, you'll reduce stress and increase people's motivation. Applying the Model To apply the principles of the Job Demands-Resources Model, follow the steps below. Step 1: Identify Job Demands Start by noting the stressors that could have a negative effect on your team. These could include the following: Short deadlines. High volumes of work. Complex or boring projects. An uncomfortable work environment. Few opportunities to work autonomously. Poor working relationships. Emotionally draining tasks or roles. Unclear goals, or role ambiguity. Limited opportunities for career advancement or personal development. Excessively bureaucratic rules and procedures. Note: Keep in mind that every person on your team has unique needs and stress thresholds. Something that causes extreme stress for one person might just be an inconvenience - or even a work enabler - for someone else. This is why it's important to talk to each person on your team individually. Find out which stressors are causing your team members the most trouble. You can then tailor your approach to fit each person's needs. Step 2: Address Job Demands Chances are, you now have a long list of factors that could be negatively affecting your team. It will be within your power to change many of these. So, separate the ones that you can influence from the ones that you can't, and do what you can to reduce job demands. As part of this, make sure that you have the right people assigned to the right tasks. If people aren't playing to their strengths, they're likely to experience higher stress levels. So, can any tasks be reassigned, or roles redesigned, to spread demands more evenly across the team? Likewise, examine your team's work flows. Are there processes that could be improved to remove bottlenecks or stress points? Make sure that your team has a pleasant working environment. When a workspace is comfortable, your people will feel good about being there. Support your team members by helping them to feel engaged with the work that they're doing, and make sure that they have the resources they need to do their job effectively. Be ready to listen to their concerns, and to respond with empathy. Also, make sure that your team members understand the true purpose of their work, and that every person on your team knows how his or her work makes a difference. This will both improve motivation and strengthen your team relationships. Finally, if your team members are engaged in emotional labor, be sensitive to how draining this can be. Share success stories, and teach your people how to cope with the stress that can come with these roles. Step 3: Identify Possible Job Resources/Positives Your next step is to identify and promote job positives that can act as a buffer between your team members and the demands of their roles. These can include the following: Mentoring or coaching opportunities. Training and development opportunities. Regular constructive feedback. Increased autonomy. Clearer goals. Organizational rules, benefits, or processes that support and strengthen employees. You can provide many of these things inexpensively, or for free. Talk to your team members one-on-one to find out what changes they would like to see. Step 4: Promote Job Resources/Positives Look for opportunities to encourage learning and development, but don't overlook "softer" positives, such as good working relationships: these are hugely important for reducing job stress. For example, even if everyone is busy, try to set aside time for socializing before meetings and after work. Provide regular constructive feedback to your people. This will help them feel supported as they grow and develop. In addition, offer a wide variety of training and development opportunities. Cross-training is great for developing people in an interesting and affordable way. Some people might also be interested in mentoring one another, or in being mentored by more senior people. People can also experience stress when they're confused about what they are meant to do. So, make sure that job descriptions are up to date, and create a team charter to define everyone's roles and responsibilities - this is especially important if your team is working on a group project. Key Points Researchers Arnold Bakker and Evangelia Demerouti developed the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) Model in 2006. The model states that when job demands are high and job resources/positives are low, stress and burnout increase. Conversely, a high number of job positives can offset the effects of high job demands. Take the following steps to apply the JD-R Model: Identify job demands. Address job demands. Identify possible job resources/positives. Address job positives. When you lessen job demands and promote job positives, your team will experience less stress, and they will have a greater sense of engagement and motivation. So, if your people are stressed, use our list of actions to create a happy, supportive working environment. References Share this article:         A Final Note When you apply the JD-R Model, not only can you reduce stress levels, but you can also provide powerful opportunities for change and growth. Many of these cost little or are free, but they can make a huge difference. Next week, we'll look at how you can help your team members find purpose and meaning in their work. Best wishes! James Manktelow Email us Mind Tools Essential Skills for an Excellent Career! References Bakker, A.B. and Demerouti, E. (2006) 'The Job Demands-Resources Model: State of the Art,' Journal of Managerial Psychology, Vol. 22, No. 3 (Available here). [Accessed 25 February 2013].   Mind Tools will treat your email address with complete respect and will not circulate it to any third party. (Click here to view our Privacy Policy.) If you have enjoyed this issue, please do email it on to your friends and co-workers. To find out about new resources on the Mind Tools site as soon as they're uploaded, click here to subscribe to the Mind Tools RSS feed (you'll need an RSS newsreader installed). You can also use Mind Tools in your organization. Our corporate division provides solutions from 25 to 10,000+ users and we connect seamlessly with leading LMS/Portals, so you can put our unique toolkit directly into the hands of your workforce. Find out more here. We welcome appropriate reprinting and reuse of Mind Tools material, but you must get our permission first! To do this, please visit our Permissions Center. © Mind Tools Ltd, 2013. This newsletter is published by Mind Tools Ltd of 2nd Floor, 145-157 St John Street, London, EC1V 4PY, UK. Mind Tools Ltd (Company Number 04829074, VAT Number: GB 840 1273 62) is a company registered in England and Wales. Registered office: Hardwick House, Prospect Place, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN1 3LJ, United Kingdom.