Leaders who work to effectively address negative emotions at work unleash opportunities for organizational growth. According to research published in the MIT Sloan Management Review, leaders who ignore negative emotions that come up at work experience reductions in employee productivity, engagement and effectiveness.
In "The Smart Way to Respond to Negative Emotions at Work," Christine Pearson, a professor at the Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University, summarized findings from more than twenty years of research related to negative workplace behavior and emotions over twenty years. Noting that few leaders are skilled in properly addressing workplace negativity, Pearson offers tips for stepping in to deal with this issue in a timely and effective manner:
- Observe indicia of negative emotions, such as reductions in hours, effort or engagement. Find ways to support employees exhibiting negative behaviors.
- Seek out employees who may be exhibiting behaviors indicating negative emotions and check in with them.
- Channel the urge to fix others problems for them, and focus instead on supporting employees in their own problem-solving efforts.
- Avoid getting sucked into negative emotions. Focus instead on understanding the situation and helping others to ascertain different perspectives to better deal with similar challenges in the future.
- Be honest and over-communicate to stave off the rumor mill and address employee fear and worry.
- Be present for sad employees. Work to acknowledge where they are and to gently guide forward movement instead of avoiding these feelings or brushing them off.
While it can be difficult and uncomfortable to address negative emotions at work, Pearson notes that "those who respond to negative emotions effectively stand out as they manage their own reactions to stress, deal with the negative emotions of others sensitively and effectively, and face reality ? seeing things as they fully are."