How Your Stress Management Skills Affects Your Earning Potential
Dr. Paul Lanthois
September 07, 2009
As I came back from the business meeting, my wife noticed the glazed and drained look upon my face. "How did the business meeting go?" she asked with a knowingly grin upon her face for she had seen that look on me before.
"No wonder the guys business is struggling." I replied.
"Why is that?"
"What was meant to be a meeting on how to boost his business, ended up with him going on about how his wife has left him and how his business partner has left him. When I offered some suggestions and strategies to improve them, he would just come up with reasons why it wouldn´t work. It was as if he just wanted to complain and wasn´t open to any help."
I´m sure you all know people like that or have had to endure such draining meetings like I did. The way they choose to manage stress may make them feel better but it is often at the expense of those around them.
But recent research is showing that such stress management methods are not only draining for other people but are also draining on their wallet. A study of the lives of 268 Harvard Sophomores for 70 years found that the way that you coped with stress had a definite impact on your income potential.
They assessed the participants´ ability to manage stress as either mature or immature.
Displays of these skills were regarded as having mature stress management skills:
Suppression (patience and stoicism)
Altruism (doing unto others as you wish to be done for yourself)
Anticipation (allowing painful emotions coming to mind before the actual event)
Immature stress management skills were shown to be:
Externalising blame,
Complaining but not accepting help
Acting out emotions (e.g. throwing a tantrum)
These immature ways of coping with stress often make the offending feel better at the time but often generate unhappy working environments and relationships. The research shows that ranting and raving doesn´t pay.
According to this 70 year study, people who were shown to have mature stress management skills earned 233% more the subjects shown to have immature stress management skills.
So if you ever notice yourself bitching about how the Global financial Crisis is to blame for your woes, you may want to go and look at the real cause in the mirror. You then may want to tell that person in the mirror that it is time to grow up.
This study puts paid to the old adage, "Nice guys finish last." It shows that being pleasant to work with and associate with is one of the key ingredients to a successful career and business.
"No wonder the guys business is struggling." I replied.
"Why is that?"
"What was meant to be a meeting on how to boost his business, ended up with him going on about how his wife has left him and how his business partner has left him. When I offered some suggestions and strategies to improve them, he would just come up with reasons why it wouldn´t work. It was as if he just wanted to complain and wasn´t open to any help."
I´m sure you all know people like that or have had to endure such draining meetings like I did. The way they choose to manage stress may make them feel better but it is often at the expense of those around them.
But recent research is showing that such stress management methods are not only draining for other people but are also draining on their wallet. A study of the lives of 268 Harvard Sophomores for 70 years found that the way that you coped with stress had a definite impact on your income potential.
They assessed the participants´ ability to manage stress as either mature or immature.
Displays of these skills were regarded as having mature stress management skills:
Suppression (patience and stoicism)
Altruism (doing unto others as you wish to be done for yourself)
Anticipation (allowing painful emotions coming to mind before the actual event)
Immature stress management skills were shown to be:
Externalising blame,
Complaining but not accepting help
Acting out emotions (e.g. throwing a tantrum)
These immature ways of coping with stress often make the offending feel better at the time but often generate unhappy working environments and relationships. The research shows that ranting and raving doesn´t pay.
According to this 70 year study, people who were shown to have mature stress management skills earned 233% more the subjects shown to have immature stress management skills.
So if you ever notice yourself bitching about how the Global financial Crisis is to blame for your woes, you may want to go and look at the real cause in the mirror. You then may want to tell that person in the mirror that it is time to grow up.
This study puts paid to the old adage, "Nice guys finish last." It shows that being pleasant to work with and associate with is one of the key ingredients to a successful career and business.
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