Can advertising be stress free? Part I

Advertising is a stressful occupation. Many ad agencies have begun to realise this and the need to provide employees with stress busters

The grass is always greener on the other side. People in other professions are often heard to say, “Advertising is cool.” But being cool comes at a price.

And the price is the pressure at work. Admen often chase one deadline after another and juggle several assignments simultaneously. There’s also the fear of competition and the pressure to deliver better work. It doesn’t help that most admen lead an erratic lifestyle, which also increases their stress levels at work. Endless sessions of tea and coffee and cigarettes, late nights and hard drinking compound the problem

Of course, these factors could feature in other vocations, too, but what makes advertising more stressful is the fact that it is extremely deadline driven.

As Sanjay Nayak, vice-president and general manager, McCann-Erickson, says, “Stress might vary at different levels, but you can’t escape it altogether. If there is transactional stress at the junior level, there’s delivery stress at the higher levels. What is probably happening now is that working hours are getting longer and the average effort to remuneration ratio is high with individual workloads shooting northwards. The need, probably, is to balance the stress and the joys, which currently get lost in the grind.”

Dr RK Jain, a consultant physician, says, “Stress affects the entire body system and a hectic lifestyle leads to various troubles, be it of the circulatory system, nervous disorders or even digestive problems.”

He adds, “If you imagine your body to be like a rope, then it is a known fact that there is only a certain amount of weight that it can sustain before it gives way. Similarly, the body can cope with only a certain level of stress and will revolt if you cross that limit. An erratic lifestyle eventually leads to health hazards and can even be fatal.”

And fatal is what it is proving to be. In the last few months, the Indian advertising industry has lost three of its fraternity, and at a very early age. O&M’s V Mahesh died of a heart attack at the age of 35. Neville Balsara was 46, while Simon Fernandes was in his 52.

The three deaths could be sheer coincidence, but they certainly raise questions about the stressful lifestyles of advertising professionals.

Rohit Ohri, senior vice-president, JWT, says, “With the availability of various interesting job opportunities in television, films and radio, advertising no longer enjoys the unique position it did till sometime ago. With this has come the pressure of retaining talent within the agency. When a person moves out, then the pressure mounts on the other people in the agency to keep his work up to date till a replacement can be found. This is a reality one has to face.”

Ohri adds, “With many agencies being part of the international network and India being seen as a growing market, the pressure to deliver profits falls on the Indian counterpart.” Ohri feels that advertising is becoming a mite too corporate and this has taken the fun out of the profession and added stress.

He continues, “The speed of work which is demanded and ensuring that the delivery happens on time while maintaining the best possible quality is really a huge factor that contributes to stress in the industry. In addition, the client-agency relationship is so fragile that finding the right balance and maintaining it adds to the pressure.”

What are the agencies doing to ameliorate the situation for their staffers? Well, it seems they have already realised the problem and begun working on it.

Agencies such as JWT, Delhi, have a gym, a pool table and even an office band, which performs regularly. It holds off-site stress management workshops for senior managers. O&M, too, has a gym and it regularly organises classes – yoga and salsa, for example – and hosts various stress management sessions. Other agencies such as Percept H, too, have held stress relief workshops in the past.

In addition to these activities at the agency level, individuals themselves are looking for ways to reduce work pressure. Some spend time with their family and friends, while others indulge in hobbies such as reading, painting or just travelling to far-off places.

To be continued...

© 2006 agencyfaqs!