Life is Work…Work is Life and occasionally, the personal and professional spheres may overlap. So, lets see how to deal with negative emotions at work.
You may find these books useful:
Dealing with Difficult Situations at Work – https://amzn.to/3PpZdHk
Dealing With Difficult People at Work – https://amzn.to/3Rr4bGC
Emotions Gone Awry – Negative Emotions
It’s important that we acknowledge our personal challenges and make an effort to separate them from the work environment. However, this may not always be possible and can create conflict and disruption in the work day for both the team member and the company.
Therefore, team members should address any unforeseen personal concerns with their manager. Situations like arriving late because your child is sick needs to be shared to receive the required support. Being a parent I personally understand how challenging it is to strike a balance between work and family obligations. Consequently, without the necessary support this type of family crisis can easily consume a parent’s workday.
Manage(r) Emotions
Managers should be able to recognize when team members are experiencing difficulties on the job; changes in behavior could signal something is wrong. Negative emotions can be sadness, fear, anger, frustration or a loss of interest in the job – quiet quitting. Dealing with the issues quickly will allow team members to remain motivated and productive.
Do not pry and certainly do not judge, who hasn’t had an off- moment or bad day? If the situation is not processed with care it could become a negative situation for the parties involved.
Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and Negative Emotions
Applying emotional intelligence (EQ) is the key to creating healthy relationships and highly effective teams. It is the ability to regulate how we act and how we feel while continuing to be considerate of other people.
The research of Dr. Howard Gardner indicates that we all have multiple intelligences to some degree. The main ones are:
- Linguistic Intelligence – Verbal
- Rhythmic Intelligence – Musical
- Mathematical Intelligence – Logical
- Spatial Intelligence – Visual
- Kinesthetic Intelligence – Bodily
- Interpersonal Intelligence – Giving consideration to the feelings of others
- Intrapersonal Intelligence – Ability to understand one’s feelings
- Naturalistic Intelligence – Ability to understand the world of plants and animals; natural world
While some of these traits might come naturally and be fully developed, others might require guidance and training. The most consequential in this type of work situation is intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligence; understanding the role your feelings, feelings of others and communicating them in a way that leads to a fair and positive solution to everyone concerned.
More information about EQ in my previous post Emotional Intelligence Is The Connection To Success. Following are some tried and proven recommendations for managers and team members:
Manage(r) Actions
1. Open Door Policy – Maintain an active open door policy; let team members know you are always available.
2. People Operations – The unit’s personnel may have the resources to better assist and process the team member’s issues.
3. Communication – Provide a secure and confidential conduit for team members to provide feedback and concerns.
Team Member Action
a) Communicate – Don’t be afraid to share with your manager issues that arise from a work assignment, work environment or personal matter that affects your ability to perform your job.
b) Employee Assistance Program (EAP) – It’s a great tool for finding services and the help you need on just about any issue, for example; counseling, family care services, and legal services. It’s a free referral program that employers provide.
c) Self Care – Step away; take a day off, a vacation or just find a quiet place for a brief breathing session. By doing this, you’ll be able to achieve clarity and maintain your composure in demanding circumstances.
T’s Tip: Choosing a job that is more compatible with your EQ may provide you with more success and prove to be less stressful.
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Enlarge your child’s world and imagination! Check out my children’s book Ducks in the Lake in the lulu.com, barnesandnoble.com and amazon.com bookstores.
