We've made weird emotionless workplaces
Riddle me this...
... It's this last point that fascinates me - Why?
Emotions do have a valid role to play here too
I wrote in my previous blog on emotion that it's a crucial kind of petrol for people - in the same way that air and food are too.
You only have to look at someone completely without emotional expression to become uncomfortable quickly; with body language (especially facial) speaking volumes on intent, engagement and meaning - it's like being around the walking dead, frankly. Creepy!
Even Mr. Spock had facial emotional expression (that raised eyebrow in surprise?).
What I cannot see is why we deny that emotions have validity in the workplace - and we get in a great deal of trouble when we do so (especially around changing workplaces).
I guess that a key issue is that process often denies emotional elements (not states, this is controlled emotion remember)... and how we love our processes!
Actually, it's more about how we should be utilising emotion
It seems to me that we've formally thrown the baby out with the bathwater in trying to control emotional outbursts, we've missed that emotions are crucial to leadership.
For example, these real emotional examples I've experience seem constructive and useful to me:
Then, 'how do I constructively engage this'?
Riddle me this...
- We are a social creature (evolved or otherwise)
- We are an emotional creature and emotions play an important part in our everyday lives
- Our workplaces rightly discourage uncontrolled emotion (hysterics or rage for example)
- However our workplaces have little to no space for controlled emotion
... It's this last point that fascinates me - Why?
Emotions do have a valid role to play here too
I wrote in my previous blog on emotion that it's a crucial kind of petrol for people - in the same way that air and food are too.
You only have to look at someone completely without emotional expression to become uncomfortable quickly; with body language (especially facial) speaking volumes on intent, engagement and meaning - it's like being around the walking dead, frankly. Creepy!
Even Mr. Spock had facial emotional expression (that raised eyebrow in surprise?).
What I cannot see is why we deny that emotions have validity in the workplace - and we get in a great deal of trouble when we do so (especially around changing workplaces).
I guess that a key issue is that process often denies emotional elements (not states, this is controlled emotion remember)... and how we love our processes!
Actually, it's more about how we should be utilising emotion
It seems to me that we've formally thrown the baby out with the bathwater in trying to control emotional outbursts, we've missed that emotions are crucial to leadership.
For example, these real emotional examples I've experience seem constructive and useful to me:
- Using a love of work to motivate
- Anger at a situation; an injustice helped save a business
- Glad to work with inspiring people
- Sadness helped a team move on from the loss of a dear colleague
Then, 'how do I constructively engage this'?
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