Good Stress, Bad Stress, and the One Shift That Changes Everything

Genesis Maldonado
5 days ago
4 min read

Article: A Review of the Challenge-Hindrance Stress Model: Recent Advances, Expanded Paradigms, and Recommendations for Future Research by Kristin A. Horan, Wheeler H. Nakahara, Michael J. DiStaso, and Steve M. Jex.

Fun note: one of the authors, Dr. Steve Jex, is a University of Central Florida (UCF) professor I know personally and my current lab professor. I also do I-O psychology research at UCF, so this topic is close to home. Check him out on his UCF page (https://sciences.ucf.edu/psychology/person/steve-jex/).

The quick gist

Not all stress is the same. The article reviews a big idea in I-O psychology called the Challenge-Hindrance Model.

Challenge stressors are the pressures that can feel tough but point toward growth and results, like a tight deadline or a stretch project.
Hindrance stressors are the blockers that waste energy, like red tape, unclear roles, broken tools, or mixed signals.

Here is the important update for owners and managers:

Whether something is a challenge or a hindrance depends on the employee’s appraisal in that moment.
The same stressor can be both at the same time, and appraisals shift over time.
Some outcomes are not as clean as early studies suggested, so we need smarter measurement, better timing, and real-world interventions.
There is likely a sweet spot for helpful pressure. Too little or too much can backfire.

Why this matters to business owners

You already have stress in the system. The question is whether it is fuel or friction. If you collapse everything into one bucket called “stress,” you miss chances to design work that motivates people and cut the stuff that drags results. Small shifts in how you label, schedule, and support demands can lift performance and protect well-being.

What to do about it

Here is a simple owner’s playbook you can start using this month:

Label your stressors. Make a two-column list with your team. Column A: “helps us win” pressures. Column B: “slows us down” blockers. Disagree openly, because appraisal is the point. Revisit this list monthly.
Plan challenges, do not surprise people. Put stretch work on the calendar in visible waves. When a challenge is predictable, people can prepare, and it feels more like fuel.
Cut hindrances fast. Fix unclear roles, messy handoffs, broken tools, or approval loops that add no value. Each one you remove frees energy you can spend on real goals.
Give control where you can. Let people choose the path to the outcome, set micro-deadlines, and batch interruptions. More control tilts a stressor toward “challenge.”
Check the “both” box. For big items like workload, ask, “Where is this energizing, and where is it blocking?” Split one problem into a growth piece and a cleanup piece.
Stabilize expectations. If last week was chaos and this week is idle time, appraisals swing and strain rise. Use weekly capacity planning and protect focus blocks.
Coach appraisals, not just tasks. Teach the language: challenge, hindrance, and even threat when something feels like a potential loss. Naming it gives you more options to act.
Design jobs, not just to-dos. Add modest autonomy, clearer ownership, and skill-building tasks. Remove chronic policy friction. This turns the job into a consistent challenge, not a constant hassle.
Pilot tiny interventions. Try a “red tape amnesty week,” a one-page role clarity sheet, or a standing “blocker busting” huddle. Keep what moves the needle, drop the rest.

Key takeaways

Stress splits into challenge (can boost growth and results) and hindrance (blocks progress).
What counts as what depends on employee appraisal and can change over time.
The same stressor can be both. Treat it that way and design accordingly.
There is probably a sweet spot for helpful pressure. Plan it. Do not surprise people.
Real gains come from adding control and clarity while removing friction.

FAQ

Why does this matter to me as an owner? Because you already pay the cost of bad stress in missed deadlines, rework, burnout, and turnover. When you separate fuel from friction, you can design work that pushes performance without draining people.

How would this look in my business? A product sprint feels like a challenge when goals are clear, tools work, and the team decides how. The same sprint becomes a hindrance when priorities change midweek, approvals stall, or metrics are fuzzy.

What are the first steps to applying this? Hold a 30-minute “stress map” session. Name the top three challenges that help you win and the top three hindrances that slow you down. Assign one owner per hindrance and remove or redesign it within two weeks.

How do I measure progress? Track three things together: 1) number of identified hindrances removed, 2) percent of work done in planned focus blocks, 3) weekly pulse on “challenge vs hindrance” balance. You want hindrances down, planned focus up, and challenge ratings steady or slightly up.

Is all challenge good? No. Too much pressure or constant surprises flip even good stress into strain. Plan challenge in waves, add control, and protect recovery.

What about small teams? This is even more important. One broken process can eat half your week. Quarterly “blocker busting” and weekly capacity planning go a long way.

APA citation

Horan, K. A., Nakahara, W. H., DiStaso, M. J., & Jex, S. M. (2020). A review of the challenge-hindrance stress model: Recent advances, expanded paradigms, and recommendations for future research. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 560346. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.560346