Autonomy, mastery and belonging

A natural part of life

Stress, whether it's related to work, family, finances, etc. Stress is a natural part of life. Our bodies are designed to respond to stressful situations. We get the same biological stress response that our Stone Age ancestors got when they were threatened by predators; a flood of hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol is triggered, we get an increased heart rate, muscle tension and heightened perception of our surroundings. This response is an important reason why the human species has been able to survive and evolve into modern man. Modern man, sitting calmly behind his laptop, control panel or steering wheel, has the same stress response as our ancestors. It's just that now that response usually comes not because a predator is lurking in the grass, but because we're thinking about whether we'll be able to submit our report before the deadline, whether our child is struggling at school or whether our personal finances can handle another interest rate increase. We are stressed by our thoughts more often than physical threats. As Robert Sapolsky pointed out in his book "Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers", while a prey animal like a zebra can go from full panic in flight from a lion to grazing calmly after getting away, a human can sit in an office free from lions and experience chronic stress symptoms based on their thoughts and worries.

When stress is a problem

Although stress is a natural response to threats, and is part of life, it can also lead to a number of problems, especially when stress has become chronic. Then we see that it can lead not only to ulcers (if some other factors are involved), but also other physical and psychological problems such as insomnia, headaches, depression, burnout and cardiovascular disease. Chronically stressed employees can also have greater problems with focus, cognitive processes and judgment. So when stress has become problematic, it creates poorer outcomes for both individual health and job performance. It's no wonder we get stressed about stress. But what can we do about it?

I see no reason to move away from the measures mentioned in the introduction. Anything we can do to make it a little easier to meet multiple and competing demands should be done. We are also better able to meet these demands if we eat healthily, exercise and sleep well. But knowing that people's stress response is activated by thoughts and worries, we should also look at what we can do to increase our psychological wellbeing. What does it take for us to feel good in an often stressful everyday life?

Our basic psychological needs

In their research in motivational psychology, researchers Edward Deci and Richard Ryan found that for people to perform and thrive, three basic psychological needs must be met: autonomy, mastery and belonging. In the decades since these findings were first described, Deci and Ryan and their peers have found that when these basic psychological needs are met, the result is that people experience more job satisfaction, perform better and have less sick leave. The exact opposite of what often results from stress problems. Is there a key here? By supporting the experience of autonomy, mastery and belonging, can we increase the ability to cope with stress at work and in everyday life - and at the same time increase wellbeing and performance? And if so, how can a leader and an organization support autonomy, mastery and belonging?

Actor, not pawn

"Autonomy" is not an everyday word. It is originally a Greek word used to describe the concept of self-determination, the right to decide for oneself. What it means in practice is that people have a fundamental need to feel like an actor, not a pawn. We resist - trigger the stress response and fight - when we feel that we are constantly doing tasks because we HAVE to, not because we WANT to. No one wants to be just a pawn in someone else's game.

When Deci and Ryan's findings became known, not least through Daniel Pink's book "Drive", many measures were put in place to increase the experience of autonomy at work. Some measures worked better than others. Greater flexibility in deciding how to complete a task worked better than "casual Fridays" with the freedom to dress more informally. Being able to wear jeans and a t-shirt to work on Fridays doesn't usually make stress problems disappear.

What Deci and Ryan's researchers found was that what was most important for the experience of autonomy was that we choose to do tasks because they are important to us and that we experience them as rewarding and meaningful. For example, when my children were young, their mother and I had an arrangement where she would drop them off at daycare in the morning and I would pick them up in the afternoon. A familiar arrangement, right? And at the time, I was experiencing classic "toddler parent stress". When the time came to pick up the kids, and there was still a lot to do at work, I felt my shoulders pull up against my ears. "I have so much to do, but I HAVE to pick up the kids!", I thought. And I had to. If I was late, the children would be upset and the kindergarten staff would be annoyed. But luckily I had a colleague who had a good suggestion. What if I said "I choose to pick up the children now" instead of "I MUST pick up the children"? That simple? Well, no. But when I stopped and thought about it, it was actually important for me to pick up my children. I wanted them to have a good experience when daddy picked them up. After all, I was (am!) fond of my children. So when I had to do that task, it wasn't that the task changed, it was how I experienced the task that changed.

When a manager takes the time to talk to their employees about what's important to them in their job, it's a measure of increased autonomy. Managers can help employees see that what they contribute is important, and therefore that it's worth doing the best job possible.

Employees who take ownership of their tasks find better solutions, work more efficiently and, not least, enjoy their work more. It helps to reduce stress.