A high-stress workplace can work for you if the stress doesn’t cause physical and emotional chaos among everyone at your firm. Managing that balance can be a whole other job in itself but with workflow software for accountants the tools are there to help the office run better and in turn reduce stress at the office. By implementing a few simple changes and using the new software to integrate them into your office culture, you can make this transition seamlessly and with as little stress as possible.

How Stress Affects Productivity

Sometimes a good competition or healthy rivalry can increase productivity but too much stress makes people shut down. If this happens in the workplace, deadlines will pass and clients will be left wanting as the accountants in your firm fall into the endless cycle of trying to catch up. This can be avoided if employees have the right tools and support to work together and keep stress at a level that works for them instead of against them.

Get Rid of Communication Gaps

Many times stress is caused by a simple error in communication and that is something that is very easily handled using workflow software for accountants. Create a universal platform and send reminders to ensure that people get the messages that are important for business in due time. Effective communication is important for client retention as well, and everyone will feel a lot lighter and more motivated when they can be confident that information is traveling along secure lines. Assess the gaps in communication that may exist in your own office and find out how your new software can close those gaps and keep everyone in your office efficient.

Find Out What People Want

Closing communication gaps is an important step in the plan to reduce stress at the office but it’s only the beginning. Once effective communication is in place, you can find out what people want and put systems in place that meet their desires. This means that standards of comfort within the office are the same or better than they are for employees at home. They’ll want to come to work, and not just for a paycheck or even because they enjoy what they do but also because their office space is a nice place to be. The comfort level goes double or more for clients. Talking about numbers and finances isn’t always the easiest thing for a person to do and coming into an office where they’re surrounded by things that make them feel stiff or too formal can make the process more difficult. Meeting or exceeding those standards of comfort for clients gives them another reason to choose your firm.

Set Easy-To-Follow Schedules

Workflow software for accountants allows you to set schedules and reminders on calendars that make it easy for everyone to stay on the same page. This takes the elements of communication and meeting desires and puts them together in one place that everyone can see. Use this tool to show how each accountant’s schedule in your firm may mesh together. This will eliminate clashes with clients or other people in the office and assist everyone in creating and following the most efficient schedules. This idea also benefits clients because calendars can include notes that help accountants prepare for each meeting. Clients will be able to come into a stress-free environment with everything in place and ready to go. This doesn’t only reduce stress but it looks more professional than if your files and documents are scattered.

Provide Adequate Support

The elements of an efficient office will reduce stress significantly and workflow software for accountants can make providing support for anyone that’s still stressed out a system that works. Effective scheduling and communication allows for cycling between accountants and time off when people need it. This gives people in the office necessary leeway to relax and take time to assess their priorities. When everyone knows what their role is, how to manage their time, and that their comfort levels are being met or exceeded, they can work happier and feel good about where they spend their time every day.