Less Stress with Decision Latitude

The greatest stressor we face is always the situation that which gives us no control.  Loss of controlcreates frustration and fear and that increases the stress we experience,

 

By nature we humans NEED to have a little control (some need more than others) over our environment.  This is true in life, and it is true at work.

 

Way back in 1979 researcher Robert A. Karasek, Ph.D.  discovered that whenever there was a job that had high demands, yet allowed employees low control or no say-so over their work process, the job stress they experienced was higher than if they had more control.

 

He labeled this factor: “Decision latitude”.  The more decision latitude the less stress it was that simple.

 

His discovery revolutionized the work-world from that day forward as Fortune 500 companies adopted his principles and revamped their operations.

 

In many 911 Dispatch centers there is very little decision latitude when it comes to how things are done.  In some cases every little thing a dispatcher/calltaker does is ‘micro-managed’.   Small wonder why the stress is so high, the retention so low.

 

The main block to increasing decision latitude is the fear (or healthy concern) that because of the potential liability involved decisions need to be made as high up the chain as possible.

I’ve even heard, “I don’t pay dispatchers to think!” from a Supervisor once. Of course this may echo with the feeling that many dispatchers have, “What do they care – we’re just dispatchers!”

Of course the misconception about decision latitude is just that – a misconception.  Often I’ll tell a supervisor, “You don’t have to give a lot – a little will do!”

 

For instance, in the case where at a center dispatchers had to immediately notify the on-duty sergeant that they were holding any calls.

 

Ok, fair enough.  But that was EVERY call.  Even non-emergency calls such as a barking dog, cat in a tree, loud music, etc.  The problem of course is that on a Friday or Saturday night when it was really busy dispatchers had to continually get the sergeant on the radio and tell him, “Be advised we are holding a noise disturbance at 111 Elm Street – loud music.”

 

From what I understand the response from the sergeant was usually the same; “10-4”, Send first available." or “hold it”, usually with the detection of a little irritation in their voice. After all sergeants on the road have a lot to do. During a typical 4th of July night with all the fireworks going off in the neighborhood you can imagine that they might be REALLY annoyed getting called every five-minutes.

 

Now the question I had for that center was, “Was this policy necessary?”  After all dispatchers should be trained to recognize non-emergency calls and be able to prioritize them as well as send out the first available unit.  What would be the harm of letting them hold non-emergency calls for 15 minutes; and then if there wasn’t an available unit to send, notify the sergeant. 

 

They agreed and implemented it.  Last I heard it was warmly welcomed not only by the dispatchers, but the sergeants as well.

 

See? It wasn't a big deal. Just a little decision latitude given to the dispatchers made the difference.  Sure it might have seemed easy just to let “the screen fill up” and let the sergeant know.  But dispatchers like me don’t really like it that way.  We like to get that call off the screen and assigned to an officer and on have them on their way.  That’s the way we dispatchers are built. 

In your center look for the ‘little’ things that don’t need a ‘memo’ to get approved and let your dispatchers have a little control over their environment.  It will lower the stress, improve morale, and possibly improve your retention factor as well.

Positive Stress?

Positive stress, or Eustress, is that which causes us to strive, to achieve, to self–actualize, and become all we can be.  Positive stress can be as little as hunger, or as big as the exciting when you find out you're having a baby, or graduating from college.  It is the “pressure” we place on ourselves that motivates us to achieve something that we see as positive or beneficial to us.  Therefore we gladly accept the added pressure because we really don’t mind the added pressure in order to achieve our goal.

A world-class sprinter will tell you before the race that their heart is beating a little faster, their palms are sweaty, their respiration is up, and they feel them old butterflies in their stomach.  This is positive stress.  Because the swimmer’s body is PREPARING for something that is worthwhile – The Gold Medal!  Even during the race when the sweat is pouring down their face, and the muscles feel like they are going to give out, it is positive stress that keeps them going toward the goal!

However, you have to be careful.  You can turn positive stress into negative stress by reaching too high, trying to be too perfect, trying to be more than you can possibly be.  The point is that no matter what, the sky isn’t always the limit, because in life there are limitations we all have.  It’s all right to be the best you can be just realize your limitations and don’t kill yourself in the process.

Stress and Weight Gain

Did you know that negative chronic stress apart from being linked to diseases like cancer, and also be the cause of excessive weight gain? It's true. During the stress response your body releases cortisol, which is incidentally called the "stress hormone". It's job is to help you recover from stress by prompting you body to send out the signal that it needs food. It creates cravings which can cause us to eat more calories than we take in. It's why you see ads for diet pills that suppress the release of cortisol. Many times all you need to do apart from proper diet and moderate exercise is simply learn how to manage your negative stress. Our Stress and the Dispatcher - Surviving the Console class will show you how.