The ability to deal effectively with emotions is undoubtedly the key to fostering harmony and improving efficiency at the workplace. It is equally beneficial for both employers and employees. A conducive work ambience, characterized by a subtle understanding of each other’s opinions, feedback and way of working irrespective of acceptance or rejection could indeed ensure better work performance and camaraderie. Show
According to research conducted at Virginia Commonwealth University, the emotional intelligence of employees can be a yardstick of measuring the efficiency of the workers in the future, Reuters reported. Emotional intelligence can help in knowing the person’s ability to coordinate well with the team, as well as to manage as a leader. The study further evinced that paying heed to people’s moods and sentiments is beneficial for businesses. Emotional intelligence is the capacity to gauge emotions in oneself and others which includes: The ability to tackle and control difficult emotions like sadness, anxiety and disappointment. So much so that the research ranked the ability to perceive and manage emotions as the second most important attribute after cognitive intelligence at the workplace. So how do we deal competently with our emotions at the workplace? Recognizing and dealing with our strong and weak emotions is the first step in becoming emotionally equipped and smart at the workplace, according to a Harvard
Business Review report. As social individuals, we are mostly conditioned to suppress our strong and negative emotions like fear, anxiety, anger and stress. The two most commonly unmanageable and adversely affecting emotions at the workplace are anger and stress. The way out for this is:
One should try to unmask the real emotion underneath the apparent emotion and describe it precisely. This emotional agility helps in successfully establishing connections with ourselves and others. On the other hand, incorrectly recognizing or generalizing an emotion can lead to an incorrect approach in dealing with it. For instance, one should try to find out the actual reasons and past factors responsible for the current anger or stress and address it accordingly. Acknowledging and confronting the real emotions ensures the high well-being of individuals, clarity into the situation and sincerity towards others and oneself. Now, what are the ways to manage emotions? To not get swayed away with emotions and remain focused on our work project. For this one needs to firstly ponder over and assess the negative emotion and action that is being invoked at the workplace due to some reason. Ask oneself if that negative action can benefit the work or the person in any way. Then after understanding the repercussions of the negative emotion, one should head towards the opposite action, which could be working on the presentation according to the feedback. The foremost action in such a situation should be having a conversation with the person who caused that emotion. For example the employer, and learn from him the issues and the ways to sort out the problem. Talking directly to the concerned person makes one feel clear and confident and helps direct the intense emotions in sync with the work goals. Empathy for others - According to an article on ccl.org , empathy is one of the most vital qualities needed to ensure productive teamwork and a fulfilling work environment. This includes three things: Paying heed to others’ aspirations and needs: Employers should genuinely be concerned in knowing and understanding the distinct goals, needs and concerns. Accordingly, they should assign the employees the teams and projects, which would yield better results. Helping in personal problems: The subordinates and seniors should be more eager and open to help each other in times of need to ensure emotional and psychological comfort and relief. Helping co-workers from overworking: The employees should reach out to their fellow workers when they need support to lessen the excessive workload. Cooperating and helping cope with overwork helps in reducing tremendous stress and pressure. (This article is generated and published by ET Spotlight team. You can get in touch with them on )
Managing emotions in the workplace (employees’ and yours)Can you remember a time when you received feedback you didn’t like, and immediately went into defense mode? Or a time when you lashed out because you were disappointed by an employee’s behavior, damaging your relationship? In a recent survey on emotions in the workplace, we asked a group of managers:
You might have guessed it — 100% of respondents said YES. We’re all human, and emotional responses are only natural. But the goal is for the passion people feel at work to contribute to your team’s success, not hinder it. Learning to manage emotions — both your employees’ and your own — will help you better support your team, and each person in it. In this article…
The role of emotions in the workplaceModern workplace cultures encourage people to be themselves, because that’s the best way to get their strongest ideas to the table and unlock their potential. It also makes more space for emotions in the workplace. And that’s great, but it also means that learning to regulate emotions and handle others’ emotions are now key management skills. As Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy explain in their book No Hard Feelings: The Secret Power of Embracing Emotions at Work:
In the year since the pandemic and grand exodus from our offices to remote work, emotions have run high. People are overwhelmed, feeling alienated, on edge, and facing burnout. And it’s hard to gauge your team members’ emotions through a screen. Making space for emotions at work must be done responsibly, because emotions affect attitudes, team morale, employee engagement, and ultimately job performance. Types of positive emotion and negative emotionWe asked a group of managers about workplace emotion, and their answers were mostly negative:
Many people’s thoughts go to the negative when asked about emotions at work. But we also experience a lot of positive emotions at work, like:
All these emotions affect how people do their work, collaborate, and contribute to the goals of their team and organization. When you learn to tap into both the positive and the negative, you’re developing emotional intelligence. And that means you can start to see how human emotion can be used for better decision-making and results. How to tap into employee emotions in the workplaceSo how can you harness positive emotions and manage negative emotions on your team? Here we go over some tips and tactics for creating an emotional culture that benefits your team. Outline team values and principlesA clear set of guiding team principles helps everyone align on the shared values of the group and builds psychological safety. Schedule a meeting or create a space where team members can share ideas asynchronously. Have everyone share their input on post-its (try a virtual whiteboard), then cluster common points. Team principle brainstorm questions
In action: You can refer to these principles when an emotional outburst causes conflict or blocks productivity. Or, they can encourage people to embrace and reinforce positive emotion. For example, “we lose as a team” could be brought up if a team member blames someone else for a mistake. “We win as a team” could support the decision to schedule a long lunch to celebrate an accomplishment. Have regular one-on-one meetingsThe more one-on-one communication you have with each member of your team, the more you’ll be able to read their emotional expression. Plus, one-on-one meetings keep you up to date with what’s motivating employees or blocking their success, and their level of job satisfaction. These conversations help you uncover their emotions and offer a safe space for people to open up about their mental health or personal life. One-on-one questions to ask for an emotional check-in:
Plan one-on-one agendas quickly and simply with the questions above and dozens of other suggested talking points in Officevibe’s one on one software. Agenda planning is shared with employees, so they can bring up their own thoughts or workplace feelings. Collect and share 360 degree employee feedbackPeer-to-peer feedback, or 360 degree feedback, helps your team members understand what their colleagues appreciate most about their work. It also highlights areas where their peers see opportunities for them to grow. This alleviates people’s assumptions about how they’re perceived and empowers them to leverage their strengths and challenge themselves. Collect 360 degree feedback anonymously or not, and share the output in one-on-one meetings with each team member. 360 degree feedback questions:
Examples of when to manage your emotions at workPeople management can be tough. According to our survey on managers’ emotional experience at work, negative feelings stem from:
Here are some tactics for managing your emotions in these situations. The pressure you put on yourself as a managerIt’s natural to feel some pressure as a manager, but this pressure often comes from within. Try empowering yourself instead of putting pressure on yourself. When you do that, you break down feelings of insecurity or imposter syndrome and make room for professional success. Tips to empower yourself in your role:
Collect feedback from your team on an ongoing basis with an anonymous feedback tool like Officevibe. The software helps you get an honest look at how your team members feel about your leadership, and surface pain points so you can take action where they really need it. Difficult situations with employeesEvery manager faces difficult situations with employees, like addressing disruptive employee behavior or even letting someone go. It’s natural for you and your team member to have an emotional reaction when that happens, but it’ll be easier to handle a difficult conversation with tools for emotional regulation. The SBI frameworkRadical Candor’s SBI Framework helps you discuss situations objectively. It’s particularly helpful when emotions run high during difficult conversations. Break down the information you need to share using the framework:
Difficult situations with your bossOne of the toughest parts of management is acting as the go-between for your boss and your team. Priorities and approaches don’t always align, meaning you’ll need to advocate for your team and manage up. How to manage up
Difficult situations with other managersEvery manager has their own objectives, motivations, and challenges, and that can cause tension. Keep your cool with the tips outlined below. How to keep your cool when tensions are high
Repair and reflect after the factIf you didn’t succeed at controlling your reaction in a heated moment, take time to reflect on it and admit where you went wrong. It’s not too late to turn what happened into a learning moment, especially if this is a recurring behavior pattern for you. Reflection questions:
On a team filled with passionate employees who give their all and show up as they are, emotions are to be expected. Tapping into those emotions and finding ways to make them productive is how the best managers drive team success. Special thanks to our coaches Simon Chauvette, Dena Adriance, Laure Vessier, and Eric Charest for their thoughtful insights. Discover more articles about people skills Would you be interested in receiving our newsletter directly in your inbox? Why is it important to manage emotions in the workplace?The Reason
Research shows that, for better or worse, emotions influence employees' commitment, creativity, decision making, work quality, and likelihood of sticking around—and you can see the effects on the bottom line. So it's important to monitor and manage people's feelings as deliberately as you do their mindset.
Why is it important to understand emotions and moods in the workplace?Emotions and moods can have a significant impact on decision making in the workplace. When employees are feeling positive, they are more likely to take risks and be innovative. However, when employees are feeling negative, they are more likely to play it safe and stick to established procedures.
Why is it important for managers to have emotional intelligence in the workplace?It helps them effectively manage teams without causing rifts or conflicts. Emotionally intelligent leaders are able to get the most out of their employees and adapt their leadership style as needed to accommodate employees with different personalities.
What is emotional management in the workplace?Throughout the day there are many points where we would like to control what we think or feel. This is where emotional management can be useful. Emotional management refers to the ability to control one's thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
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