Mainebiz

V O L . X X I X N O. X X V I I N OV E M B E R 2 7 , 2 0 2 3 14 B U S I N E S S M A I N E B U S I N E S S M A I N E B U S I N E S S N E W S F RO M A RO U N D T H E S TAT E Services Administration. Among other duties, the GSA man- ages federal buildings and infra- structure, and recently finished constructing a $50 million bor- der crossing station between Madawaska and New Brunswick, Canada. e new land port of entry, on 10.7 acres, replaces a facil- ity that dated to 1959. e artwork for the project was funded through the GSA's Art in Architecture Program. Titled "Stella" — the Latin word for star — the sculp- ture takes its design from the icon commonly painted on the sides of barns and homes throughout Aroostook County. e single star is a symbol of Acadian culture, and was included in Maine's original state flag of 1901. N O T E W O R T H Y N O R T H E R N & E A S T E R N The Professional Logging Contractors of the Northeast graduated 12 newly trained loggers in a ceremony in the Penobscot County town of Passadumkeag. At NBT Bank, our goal is to help you reach yours. Our relationship managers provide the expert guidance and custom solutions it takes to help grow your business. Our local commitment builds strong, long-lasting partnerships that maximize your potential for success. Capital and Treasury Management Solutions Fraud Protection & Secure Banking Solutions Local Perspective & Decision Making Let our experienced Maine commercial banking team create real opportunity for your business. Cameron McKague, Timothy McMachen, Ashley Gagnon, Jeremy Deering, Michael O'Reilly, Mark Schaub, Joseph Luciano and Kimberly Twitchell Member FDIC nbtbank.com/me A S K AC E A n s w e r e d b y F r a n c i s E b e r l e , P r i c e A s s o c i a t e s The Association for Consulting Expertise (ACE) is a non-profit association of independent consultants who value "Success through Collaboration." The public is welcome to attend its regular meetings to share best practices and engage with industry experts. For more information go to www.consultexpertise.com. Q: With the uncertainty of business and the world, the level of stress is high at our company. What can I do to help employees reduce their stress and have more success at work? ACE advises: Stress is a part of life. Workplace stress is different from stress that motivates you to learn or solve problems. This is good stress. Too much workplace stress is a symptom of a larger problem. This bad stress leads to negative physical and emotional responses. Gallup's "State of the Global Workplace 2023" report states stress reached an all-time high in the U.S. and Canada with 52% of employ- ees experiencing daily stress. Here is list of questions for employees, designed to identify sources of workplace stress: 1. Workplace demands: Is my job well-designed for what I'm expected to do? 2. Effort and reward balance: Are the effort and reward I receive in balance? 3. Control: Do I have autonomy? 4. Organizational change: Is organizational change causing stress? 5. Management issues: Is my manager equipped to handle the increasing scale of the work? 6. Social support: Am I receiving support from others around me? 7. Job security: Do I feel secure about my job? Employers can reduce employee stress by: 1. Having regular meaningful conversations: Have a once- a-week conversation around prioritizing task and outside- of-work challenges causing distraction. Co-develop strat- egies to help them. 2. Make the most of the days on-site: Use the time to con- nect, collaborate and do more creative work together. 3. Act how you want others to act: Managers and leaders must show how they are effectively managing their stress. When leadership is involved with employees' well-being, it sends a clear message that people are a priority, leading to increased engagement and a more positive work culture. Francis Eberle, an ACE board member, is a leadership and organizational advisor at Price Associates. To learn more about workplace stress or administer a stress assessment in your company, contact him at francis@price-associates.com

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