Investing Emotionally

I’ll admit it. Sometimes I cry…in public! For some leaders that may be considered a sign of weakness, especially in the tough economic times facing many successful enterprises. Regardless of your gender, emotions matter in the workplace and too many leaders ignore the role of emotion in managing others when things aren’t going well. Let me try to explain.

Numerous workplace studies and surveys have documented the lack of recognition experienced by many of today’s employees. For whatever reason, leaders often choose to withhold praise, even if the employee is performing well and deserves the recognition. When an employee is facing a lay off, as part of a broader cost cutting strategy, it is unusual for her boss to acknowledge the years of faithful service she may have given to the firm. This lack of emotional investment by the leader is an invitation for her to feel unappreciated and angry at the company. If she leaves under these circumstances it is more likely her attitude about the firm will be negatively affected and she may resort to legal action or tell her friends about how she was treated. And it all could have been avoided.

When a company is struggling, employees often know what is happening yet may not be told the truth early and often enough. If a leader understands that managing the emotional concerns in a workplace are just as important as other strategies being considered to address the problems, they will gain potential allies. Workers would welcome the opportunity to control their own destiny by looking for solutions to the issues being faced. If the problems persist, management can offer creative alternatives to layoffs by giving employees’ choices to work part time or offering to hire back anyone whose job is cut. Leaders can also soften the emotional blow by assisting with job training or networking.

When a company acknowledges and addresses emotional concerns like valuing an employee’s work, offering them freedom to think and decide on their own, or recognizing the emotional connections they have with co-workers, it is more likely to successfully weather uncertain economic times. This doesn’t mean tough decisions won’t be necessary or employees won’t still experience some disappointment. The goal is not to eliminate bad news. Instead, a commitment to investing emotionally in the well-being of employees could give the enterprise an edge during the best of times and a better chance to survive the worst of times.

I’m not asking you to show your emotions in public, like I sometimes do. But I am inviting the leaders who read this blog regularly to foster positive emotions among employees by showing your appreciation, inviting them to make connections, and offering them more autonomy in decision-making. It won’t make the tough times go away but it could make a bad situation more tolerable.