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Increasing customer demands, pressure on all workers to do more with
less, and financial strain on most businesses combine to make a very
emotional pressure-cooker situation.
We all will feel emotions at times, and the key is to control and channel those emotions in a positive direction and not to bottle them up. We can choose to ignore our emotions and the agitated feelings of those around us, but the likely result is a much more destructive and inappropriate display at a later time.
In the workplace, emotions arise for a variety of reasons:
- Lack of appreciation
- Lack of control over the future
- The feeling of low status
- Dislike for the work assigned
Establishing proactive steps will help you strengthen your business relationships, achieve more effective results, and create a more peaceful workplace environment. King Solomon wrote, “A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back” (Proverbs 29:11 ESV).
We all like to be appreciated and feel valued by others. Jon managed a group of six heating and cooling engineers. Several of his team showed signs of increased anger and frustration. Jon asked for some feedback, and most of the team didn’t feel valued or appreciated. He started to look for something each day that he appreciated about the work accomplished. Completed projects or overcoming major hurdles became department celebrations, and morale improved. King Solomon understood this principle when he wrote, “A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver” (Proverbs 25:11 ESV).
We are born with an independent streak and we have a tendency to want to go our own way. The Lord gives us a blueprint in the Bible, along with guidance from the Holy Spirit, allowing us to make decisions and choices. Likewise, we need to outline what we expect. King David consulted every leader, and then said the ark of the Lord should be recovered, and “all the assembly agreed to do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people” (1 Chronicles 13:4 ESV).
Bringing others into the decision-making process helps dissipate potential emotions and earns support from the group. Additionally, the more choices you can offer, the better. For example, in one office, most staff brought lunches and wanted to shorten the lunch hour to 30 minutes so that they could get home earlier. The owner agreed, and the change had little impact on work performed, but it was a major spirit booster. When given few or no choices, negative emotions will build.
Status is especially important, for employees constantly compare themselves to each other. James wrote, “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice” (James 3:16 ESV). One employee may say, “I should get the same raise that he did” or “Why did she get the new work assignment?” When this happens, hear out the concern, and then turn the conversation back toward that person. Sandy was angry and disappointed that she was passed over for a promotion, so she stormed into the boss’s office, demanding equal payment. The boss allowed Sandy to vent, and then he went into the details of what steps Sandy could follow to improve chances for future advancement, and this created a positive path for Sandy’s future.
Lastly, when you assign roles, explain why each role is important and how each is valuable. Paul wrote, “Now there are varieties of gifts …” (1 Corinthians 12:4 ESV). In one company, the file room staff believed their work was meaningless, for all they did was pull and put back files all day long. The supervisor began to take a few moments each day to explain the importance of files and the impact on customer service. As employees were told this, they began to understand the value of each assignment, and their frustration from doing “meaningless” work was put to rest.
Emotions will be part of every workplace, but as you recognize and channel those emotions positively, your staff will become more energized and more effective.
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