Emotions Affect Company Morale and Performance

ImageEmotions in the workplace, whether positive or negative can have a short-term or long-lasting effect on employees and the business. Some employees, without ever realizing it, have the power to bring workplace morale down in the blink of an eye. This is usually with a negative side comment or from an angry glance. Whether it is the employee’s personality, a problem they are experiencing at home, or the fact that they are simply unhappy at work, their negative attitude can spread like wildfire throughout the office.

All employees experience different moods throughout the day. Some are short lived while others drag on for hours or even days. Stress, anger, happiness, disposition, and everyday duties all have a way of affecting morale and performance. It is how we display our moods and feelings and how we interpret the moods and feelings of others that determine how they will affect the workplace.

Some employees try to mask their feelings by voiding their faces of all expression and carefully choosing the way in which they speak. Others have no qualms about voicing their unhappiness and negative opinions regarding work related issues.

This often creates a level of discomfort and avoidance. If an employee is continually in a bad mood, others in the workplace will disparage from working with this employee and may even come to dread passing them by in the hallway or sitting across from them during the morning meeting. This can all lead to an increased level of discomfort, stress, and anxiety. Furthermore, the willingness to work as a team, morale, and ambition all decrease. Unfortunately, it only takes one bad grape to spoil the entire bunch.

Curbing Negative Emotions in the Workplace

  • In order to stop being affected by the negative, you yourself must feel positive. Come to work well rested, eat well and exercise.
  • Recognize how and where stress and anger affects you.
  • If you feel a negative emotion coming on, step back and go for a walk.
  • Find the source of your feelings and deal with it in a constructive and positive way.
  • Rid your mind of negative thoughts and focus on the positive. (Affirmations)
  • Shift your focus away from the negative.
  • Remind yourself of what is going positively to refresh your mood.
  • Instead of getting angry, do something to rectify the negative situation.
  • Take the initiative to get things done. If you think something could be better or needs to be implemented, make it happen.

There is a Productive Way to Manage Emotions in the Workplace

Employees that are unhappy, hurt, or angry have ways of getting back at their co-workers and the business. Sometimes without a conscious notion of what they are doing. Other times on purpose. Everyone has feelings and an ego. It is how individuals choose to display their feelings and egos that affect those around them and the company. It is important to display both positive and negative emotions in the workplace with caution & moderation.

If an employee is unhappy, it is important to give them a safe way to vent their anger and frustration. Allowing them to bring emotions to the table in a safe and uncompromised way lets them know that their employer cares and that their opinion matters. This releases negative emotions and immensely reduces any acts of sabotage the employee may engage in.

It is crucial for businesses to properly train employees on how to handle their emotions at work. This training will generate a more productive and successful atmosphere.

Written by Gary Sorrell, Sorrell Associates, LLC. Copyright protected worldwide. All rights reserved.

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