In a new thought leadership resource, global HR research and
advisory firm McLean & Company highlights that although there
has historically been little room for emotions in the workplace,
future-focused organizations have a responsibility to drive a
healthy emotional culture for employees or else risk impacts to
productivity, engagement, and the bottom line.
TORONTO, July 16,
2024 /CNW/ - With the workforce continuing to grapple
with a significant degree of uncertainty both in and out of the
workplace, global HR research and advisory firm McLean &
Company has identified that employee emotions matter more than ever
in the future of work. According to a new thought leadership
resource from McLean & Company, employees can no longer
separate their emotions from work as they contend with blurred
boundaries between work and home, heightened exposure to world
crises, increasing concerns about the rise of AI, economic
uncertainty, and a charged political landscape. Rather than
adopting the traditional approach of avoiding emotions altogether,
the firm advises that organizations need to be proactive about how
emotions and work can coexist to enable workplaces where everyone
can thrive. To guide HR and organizational leaders through
challenging the perceptions of emotions at work to unlock the
potential of a balanced and healthy emotional culture, the firm has
published its latest industry resource, Demystifying Emotions
in the Workplace.
"Creating an emotionally healthy culture founded on
inclusion, psychological safety, and conflict resolution is
critical to organizational performance and fostering employee
engagement." says Grace
Ewles, director of HR Research & Advisory Services
at McLean & Company. "An emotional culture does not mean
emotions run wild. Rather, a healthy emotional culture encourages
the appropriate expression and regulation of emotions in line with
organizational norms and values."
The firm explains in the new resource that organizations are
often largely unaware of how to address and navigate emotions in
the workplace, which impacts the success of wellbeing and mental
health initiatives. McLean & Company suggests that all
organizations have an emotional culture, whether they acknowledge
it or not. To succeed and compete in the rapidly evolving
landscape, the firm notes that organizations have just as much of
an obligation to prioritize emotional wellbeing in the workplace as
other critical organizational priorities.
In the resource, McLean & Company explains that
organizations may fall under three emotional culture
categories:
- Emotionally suppressive. Indicators of an
emotionally suppressive organization include retributive behaviors,
toxic positivity, burnout, and avoidance.
- Emotionally healthy. In an emotionally healthy
organization, employees are supported through psychological safety,
effective conflict resolution, holistic approaches to wellbeing,
and inclusion and belonging.
- Emotionally unregulated. When an organization is
emotionally unregulated, the culture is often impacted by impulsive
behaviors, gossip, disrespect, and a lack of boundaries.
The firm's insights suggest that, to achieve an emotionally
healthy work environment, HR and people leaders must find the right
balance between three cultural elements: leadership behaviors,
cultural norms and values, and organizational
processes.
However, HR is not the be-all and end-all for a healthy
emotional culture in the workplace, McLean & Company advises.
Improving and sustaining the emotional health of an organization is
a shared accountability and requires a collective effort from
individuals, teams, and organizational leaders. From executive
leadership to frontline employees, every person contributes to the
health of the emotional culture. It is not, and cannot be, up to HR
alone.
"When we understand what emotions are and what they are not,
we're less likely to misinterpret our own emotions and reinforce
negative thoughts around them or mislabel and stereotype others
based on their emotions," explains Ewles. "For example,
feeling sad doesn't have to mean someone is in a bad mood, while
having a bad day doesn't necessarily mean someone is a negative
person. Recognizing these differences in ourselves and others can
create empathy and understanding in the workplace and contribute to
a healthier emotional culture."
To access the full thought leadership resource, please visit
Demystifying Emotions in the Workplace.
To attend upcoming free webinars on a variety of topics or
explore the publicly available archive of recorded sessions, please
visit McLean & Company's webinars page.
McLean Signature 2024
To register for Signature, the premier industry conference for
future-focused HR leaders hosted by McLean & Company from
October 27 to 29 at the Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa
in Las Vegas, Nevada, please visit
the official Signature event page.
Media interested in connecting with McLean & Company
analysts for exclusive, research-backed insights and commentary on
generative AI in HR, HR trends in
2024, the future of work, and more can contact
Senior Communications Manager Kelsey
King at kking@mcleanco.com.
About McLean & Company
McLean & Company pairs evidence-based research
and immediately applicable tools with deep HR expertise to position
organizations to meet today's needs and prepare for the future. The
global HR research and advisory firm's member organizations enjoy
comprehensive resources, full-service diagnostics, workshops,
action plans, and advisory services for all levels of HR
professionals, from executive leadership to HR leaders to HR team
members, that help shape workplaces where everyone thrives.
McLean & Company is a division of Info-Tech Research
Group.
Media professionals can register for unrestricted access to
research across IT, HR, and software and hundreds of industry
analysts through the firm's Media Insiders program. To gain access,
contact kking@mcleanco.com.
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SOURCE McLean & Company