Keep your emotions in check at the workplace. That has, traditionally, been a mantra for employees who were discouraged from showing any emotions on the clock.
But the blurring lines and boundaries between home and work, mixed with heightened exposure to world crises, concerns about the impacts of artiicial intelligence, and economic uncertainty, and a charged political landscape are changing the equation, according to McLean & Company, a global HR research and advisory firm.
Its latest thought leadership resource — “Demystifying Emotions in the Workplace” — highlights the necessity for organizations to foster a healthy emotional culture or risk negative impacts on productivity and engagement.
“Creating an emotionally healthy culture founded on inclusion, psychological safety, and conflict resolution is critical to organizational performance and fostering employee engagement,” said Grace Ewles, director of HR Research & Advisory Services at McLean & Company. “A healthy emotional culture encourages the appropriate expression and regulation of emotions in line with organizational norms and values.”
McLean & Company’s resource categorizes organizations into three types based on their emotional cultures: emotionally suppressive, emotionally healthy, and emotionally unregulated.
Emotionally suppressive organizations exhibit retributive behaviors and burnout, while emotionally unregulated organizations suffer from impulsive behaviors and a lack of boundaries. In contrast, emotionally healthy organizations support employees through psychological safety, effective conflict resolution, and inclusion.
The firm emphasizes that maintaining emotional health in the workplace is a collective responsibility. “Improving and sustaining the emotional health of an organization requires effort from all levels, from executive leadership to frontline employees,” Ewles said. “Recognizing and appropriately responding to emotions can create empathy and understanding, contributing to a healthier workplace.”