I recently attended the 2026 SHRM-Atlanta SOAHR conference session focused on coaching through a workplace performance issue.
I was also speaking at the SOAHR conference, leading a morning energizer session designed to help attendees reconnect with their bodies, sharpen focus, and prepare for the day ahead. Being there in both roles, as a speaker and as an attendee, gave me an even deeper appreciation for how often workplace performance conversations overlook the connection between stress, state, and wellbeing.
The conversation was practical and thoughtful. People discussed the usual next steps leaders and HR professionals often consider first: coach up, be more direct, escalate, clarify expectations, and address the behavior head-on.
Those are all valid strategies.
But as I listened, I kept thinking about something deeper:
What if the issue is not just behavior? What if it is state?
That is the part too many leaders at organizations miss.
When someone who was once dependable starts dropping the ball, becomes more reactive, communicates poorly, or seems off with the team, the instinct is often to treat it as a coaching problem or a performance management problem. Sometimes it is. But not always.
Sometimes what you are seeing is the downstream effect of overload, poor recovery, chronic stress, poor sleep, or a work environment that is pushing people beyond what their body and mind can sustainably carry.
The CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health explains that job stress occurs when job demands do not match a worker’s capabilities, resources, or needs, and that stressful working conditions can directly affect health and safety. WHO also identifies excessive workload, low job control, poor support, and work-life conflict as important mental health risks at work.
What leaders and HR often miss
People do not leave their physiology at the door when they show up for work.
And when they do, they affect more than mood. They affect focus, patience, communication, decision-making, and leadership presence. WHO states that mental health risks at work can undermine work performance, attendance, and productivity, while healthier work environments can strengthen performance and retention.
So when someone becomes irritable, distracted, disengaged, or inconsistent, the better question is not always:
How do we coach this harder?
Sometimes the better question is:
What changed?
Surface-level coaching can miss the root cause
When organizations address performance only at the surface level, they often stay stuck in reaction mode.
They respond to:
missed deadlines
shorter patience
rude communication
low engagement
poor collaboration
inconsistent follow-through
But they do not always stop long enough to ask:
What pressure is this person under?
Is this a skill issue, a systems issue, or a stress-state issue?
What is happening in the team environment that may be driving this behavior?
Has this person been running on fumes for too long?
That distinction matters.
The CDC’s NIOSH guidance notes that stressful working conditions are associated with sleep disturbance, irritability, exhaustion, and job failure. It also highlights organizational factors such as excessive workload, unclear expectations, and poor communication as contributors to job stress.
In other words, not every struggling employee needs more pressure. Some need better support, healthier systems, and a workplace environment that does not constantly drain their energy and cognitive capacity.
Why state affects performance
When someone’s state is off, performance eventually reflects it.
It shows up in:
lower focus
more reactivity
weaker communication
poorer judgment
difficulty prioritizing
strained team dynamics
presenteeism and inconsistent execution
That is one reason workplace wellbeing should not be treated as fluff or a nice extra. When done well, it supports sustainable performance.
This aligns closely with how I approach corporate wellness: practical, interactive education that helps people build better awareness, stronger daily habits, and healthier ways of working and living. On my Corporate Wellness page, I describe offerings such as workshops, lunch and learns, food demos, wellness fairs, team series, and coaching designed to support energy, focus, resilience, and performance under pressure.
Better performance starts with better awareness
This does not mean avoiding accountability.
It means widening the lens before rushing to judgment.
practical tools that help employees regulate energy and attention during the workday
support that addresses the human behind the role, not just the output
The goal is not to make excuses for poor performance.
The goal is to understand what is driving it, so leaders can respond more effectively and organizations can build healthier, more resilient teams.
What healthier workplace support can look like
A better workplace performance strategy does not choose between wellbeing and accountability.
It connects them.
Organizations can support stronger performance by helping employees:
understand how stress affects focus, behavior, and decision-making
build better recovery habits
improve energy stability during the workday
reduce the boom-and-bust cycle of stress and caffeine
strengthen healthier nutrition, movement, and sleep routines
use practical resets to regulate state before important conversations, meetings, or decisions
These are the types of practical wellness tools that fit naturally into corporate wellness workshops, lunch and learns, leadership wellbeing sessions, wellness fairs, and interactive food demo experiences. My corporate wellness programs are designed to make wellness useful in real workplaces and real schedules, not just inspiring for one afternoon.
Why this matters right now
WHO reports that depression and anxiety lead to 12 billion lost working days globally each year, with major productivity costs, and recommends organizational action, manager training, and worker support as part of a healthier workplace strategy.
That does not mean every organization needs to become a health clinic.
It does mean leaders and HR teams need to stop treating energy, stress, and wellbeing as separate from performance.
Because they are not separate.
When employees are healthier, more regulated, and better supported, they are generally more capable of thinking clearly, communicating effectively, and sustaining performance over time. Your workplace culture, leadership style, and wellness strategy all influence that outcome.
Action Steps for Leaders and HR
If this topic resonates, here are three practical next steps:
1. Look beyond the behavior
The next time performance drops or someone becomes reactive, do not only ask what they are doing wrong. Ask what may have changed in their workload, recovery, stress load, or environment.
2. Start asking better questions
Before escalating, create space for a more human conversation. Focus on patterns, pressure points, and support needs—not just output.
3. Build practical wellbeing into the workplace
Do not wait until burnout, disengagement, or conflict becomes visible. Proactive wellness education can help employees improve awareness, energy, and everyday resilience before problems grow.
Your Next 3 Steps
Choose one pressure point Identify one area where stress may be affecting your team most right now: communication, focus, energy, or resilience.
Open one better conversation Ask what has changed before jumping straight to correction, coaching, or escalation.
Bring in practical support Consider a workshop, lunch and learn, food demo, or employee wellness session that helps your team build healthier daily habits and better regulation skills.
The takeaway
If someone on your team is struggling, do not only ask how to coach the behavior.
Also ask:
What changed?
What stressors may be affecting performance?
What workplace conditions need to be addressed?
What support would help this person come back online?
Sometimes the real issue is not a lack of skill.
Sometimes the real issue is that the human behind the role is overloaded, under-recovered, and no longer in a state that supports high performance.
That is why health creates freedom.
The freedom to think clearly. The freedom to communicate better. The freedom to lead well. The freedom to perform without running on fumes.
Want support for your team?
If your organization is looking for a more practical, performance-supportive approach to employee wellbeing, let’s talk.
Not always. Coaching may be part of the solution, but it should not be the only lens. When someone’s performance changes, the real issue may include chronic stress, overload, poor sleep, lack of recovery, unclear expectations, or a work environment that is draining their capacity. If leaders only address the visible behavior, they may miss the root cause. A better approach is to combine accountability with curiosity and ask what has changed before assuming the issue is simply motivation, attitude, or skill.
Look at patterns, not just incidents
Ask what changed before escalating
Address both behavior and underlying drivers
How does stress affect workplace performance?
Stress affects far more than mood. It can reduce focus, patience, communication quality, decision-making, and emotional regulation. Over time, employees under constant pressure may become more reactive, disengaged, forgetful, or inconsistent in their follow-through. They may still care deeply about their job, but no longer have the internal capacity to perform at the same level. That is why stress should not be treated as a private issue with no workplace impact. It directly influences how people show up, collaborate, lead, and perform.
It can weaken attention and clarity
It may affect communication and tone
It often shows up in behavior and performance
Can corporate wellness support team performance?
Yes, when it goes beyond generic advice and focuses on practical behavior change. Effective corporate wellness programming can help employees better understand stress, improve energy stability, build healthier recovery habits, and strengthen focus throughout the workday. It can also help leaders and teams connect wellbeing to communication, resilience, and sustainable performance. The goal is not perfection. The goal is to give people useful tools and awareness they can apply in real work settings so they can function, lead, and collaborate more effectively.
It supports healthier daily habits
It can improve energy, focus, and resilience
It makes wellbeing relevant to real workdays
References
World Health Organization. Mental health at work. WHO states that poor working environments can undermine performance and productivity and highlights organizational action, manager training, and worker support as key strategies.
CDC / NIOSH. Stress at Work. NIOSH explains that job stress can affect health and performance and identifies organizational contributors such as workload, poor communication, and unclear expectations.
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