To deal with negativity in the team, managers first need to be in tune with their own emotions
by Fred Heritage
Traditionally, keeping emotions under wraps was part and parcel of what it meant to behave ‘professionally’. The workplace was considered the arena where logic, rationality, and reason reigned – somewhere for tasks to be completed quickly and decisions reached dispassionately. People’s feelings had no place at work as emotion would only get in the way of productivity.
These days, things have moved on and bosses are more sensitive to their employees’ mental health and wellbeing. Research has shown that the performance of teams improves when individual members feel supported emotionally by their organisations.
Work-related stress isn’t anything new, writes Nihar Chhaya in an article in the Harvard Business Review, but research suggests that it’s a growing problem that’s been further exaggerated by the pandemic. Data from Gallup’s State of the global workplace: 2021 report shows that in 2020, workers' daily stress levels reached record highs, increasing to 43% from 38% in 2019, as Covid-19 caused borders to close, businesses to slump, and employees to be laid off.
“It’s essential to perceive these inputs as data, not danger" The pandemic may have also contributed to workplace stress in other ways by giving business leaders and workers more reasons to disagree. Nicholas Bloom, an economics professor at Stanford University and co-founder of the WFH Research Project, reveals in a CNBC article that he expects “huge battles” over remote working in 2022, as managers who want workforces to return to offices clash with staff who favour ‘hybrid’ working.
In such an uncertain environment, managers face the challenging task of staying attuned to feelings of anger or resentment in their team and responding effectively when issues arise.
Stay balanced
To do this, says Chhaya in the Harvard Business Review article, managers first need to be in tune with their own emotions, and not let the frustrations of others impact their decision-making.
Chhaya identifies three instinctive responses to anger: dismissing, deflecting, and defending. He argues that none are an effective quality in a leader because each of these negative responses creates “unnecessary psychological distance” between co-workers.
“Depersonalize how you receive both the direct and indirect feedback that your team is angry,” Chhaya adds. “It’s essential to perceive these inputs as data, not danger (and to not) get caught up in how your team’s anger reflects on you."
Rather than overlooking any anger or resentment that builds up, Chhaya urges team leaders to instead “lean into” that anger to try to learn from it. He says that by doing so, managers will show their teams they care enough to acknowledge negative feelings and are attempting to remedy them. “Don’t suppress their anger or ignore it,” he adds.
“Instead, ask for more information. Reframe the concept of anger at work, so you and your team can handle it with sensibility, not dread. Just like an angry team doesn’t have to trigger your defensiveness, not all anger has to be considered a bad thing.”
Create a supportive environment
Building the emotional intelligence of your team can help to neutralise feelings of anger or resentment before they become damaging, according to a Forbes article by Yolanda Lau. Lau outlines four practical tips for managers looking to create a more supportive team dynamic, where individuals feel safe to bring their emotions to work.
1. Learn the language of emotions
Using your emotions to your advantage involves first being able to identify the emotions you’re feeling. Lau suggests that managers should encourage teams to develop their “vocabulary of emotions” using tools like emotion wheels, a RULER mood meter, or the Atlas of Emotions. “When you name your emotions, you defuse them and take away their power” she says.
2. Conduct check-ins
Once your team has a better vocabulary of emotions, managers can feel more comfortable encouraging individuals to speak up about their feelings. Lau says an effective way to do this could be through individual or group “check-ins”, whereby your team can “share what they feel, be aware of where their attention is, and process and manage their emotions.”
3. Encourage positive emotions
It may seem obvious but encouraging positivity in the workplace can quickly rub off on the mood of individuals, and the team overall. According to Lau, posting kind words about co-workers on a ‘kudos board’ is a quick and effective way of reducing tensions and getting employees to re-engage with more positive feelings.
4. Honest leadership
Lau advises managers to be honest with their teams about how they’re feeling, because “faking positive emotions can only fool people for short periods of time, but your true feelings will eventually leak out”.
Honesty is the cornerstone of trust when it comes to team dynamics. If you can’t face being honest yourself about how you’re feeling, how can you expect individuals on your team to do the same?