How to Deal with Crying in the Office

September 28, 2009 by Bret L. Simmons · Filed under: Attitudes, Leadership

Here is a short video from www.howdini.com about crying in the office. The main point the video makes is try not to cry at work, and if something happens and you do start crying, get your composure back as quickly as possible. I can’t disagree with any of that.

But one of the first things the expert in this video says is “One must always remember that work is about facts, it’s not about feelings.” I strongly disagree.

Like it or not, we are emotional beings. Effective leaders don’t dismiss that fact, they embrace it.

Two of the most powerful drivers of employee performance are job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Satisfied and committed employees are more likely to outperform those that hate their job, your organization, and you. These attitudes are very affect laden, and it’s the affective component of the attitude that makes them so powerful.

As a leader, the way to deal with a crying employee is to treat the crying as a symptom and not a problem. Crying is not a sign of weakness; it is a natural way that our bodies deal with stress by releasing emotions. If there is something in the work environment that caused such an extreme emotional reaction, it needs to be identified and dealt with.

Be thankful if you witness the crying at work. If employees are chronically crying at home due to work related stress, you might miss these signs of burnout. You better care about that, because employee burnout is a bottom line issue.

Read more: http://www.bretlsimmons.com/2009-09/how-to-deal-with-crying-in-the-office/#ixzz0TXJ1Z1FZ