Behavioural science has come to play a powerful role in explaining how individuals and organisations function; how they interact and communicate. Popularised recently in books such as Nudge and Thinking Fast and Slow, it has shifted into the mainstream, driving further fields of study from social psychology to behavioural economics. This has led to new insights emerging into how people behave and how they make the choices that affect their personal and professional lives and determine their levels of health, wellbeing and happiness.
Job-related stress In a Covid-impacted era of ever-greater change and uncertainty, it is little wonder that job-related stress in our schools, by all indicators, is at an all-time high. Sources of stress among school staff often stem from excessive workload and accountability, feelings of disempowerment, requirements to manage unrealistic expectations and to handle difficult professional relationships on a daily basis.
“Where once e-mail blazed a lone trail, huge growth in online communication creates expectations of near-permanent engagement.”
One of the biggest single sources of stress in schools relates, in part, to a long-standing problem, recently magnified by the further blurring of boundaries between work and home. For many school staff, once-manageable expectations of accessibility and availability have become overwhelming.
Where once e-mail blazed a lone trail, an exponential growth in online communication platforms has given rise to expectations of near-permanent engagement. Research indicates that the average classroom teacher receives 120 e-mails each week during term time, with middle leaders receiving up to double this.
In addition, almost all teachers are involved in multiple, often over-lapping, professional WhatsApp or other social media groups and are in daily receipt of numerous notifications from school management information systems and alerts from school calendars and digital HR, IT or school maintenance platforms.
“As digital communication grows, so too does the culture of constant interruption, over stimulation, endless connectivity and loss of control.”
And, of course, in parallel they are engaged in continuous virtual chats with students whilst being expected to be lively engagers with school social media output. As the volume and variety of technology-based correspondence and communication grows, so too does the culture of constant interruption, over stimulation, anxiety-inducing multi-tasking, superficial engagement, endless connectivity and loss of control. Yet this costly – on so many levels – source of stress among colleagues can be recognised and controlled.
Behavioural management techniques advise that after a disruptive period in which communication technology has dramatically affected our lives, recognising, understanding and articulating the issue for what it is, is required.
Alongside this should be sustained and consistent advice to all stakeholders about appropriate communication expectations. Carefully modelled behaviour on the part of senior leaders – including frequent “nudges” to encourage staff to change unhelpful digital working habits and clear advice to them not to check professional communication late at night or first thing in the morning – is important to reduce stress and help rebuild boundaries in their personal and professional lives.
This article first appeared in the latest winter edition of School Management Plus magazine, available now.