Ditch your employee monitoring technologies and turn your people into heroes
Why taking the emotional high ground is the heart of social intelligence, creativity, innovation, teamwork, and leadership
Hands on your face;
They’re at it again.
Talking about themselves.
ME. ME. ME.
Like no one can get a word in sideways.
You start WatsApp-ing each other.
You are all frightened to say something unless he loses it again like last time.
Like walking on eggshells.
Meetings are a waste of time.
Every meeting, they pick on me.
Says something nasty.
If there is something wrong, it must be me.
I am in tears most evenings.I discovered that my colleagues have social meetings, and I am not included.
The boss has wine tasting evenings and the in-crowd are invited. I know I am new, but this is so weird. Maybe I need to start looking for a new job.It’s Christmas and my boss gives gifts. They hand them out publicly. You know what they think of you by the quality of the gift. And so does every one else.
This is so nuts.
These are real examples. They are examples of inclusion and exclusion, poor social relationships, and a modern day feudal system of Monarch and their court.
Negative emotions are common at work.
Anger, irritation, jealousy, bitterness, hatred, dislike are on the rise. The pressure of the job, environment, clients demands, health, pollution, poor pay, mean there is not let up.
Front-line workers experience aggression from clients, customers, and patients. They also have to work and survive in these environments. Often lacking support and leadership. They have to fight the negative emotional headwinds of technocratic bureaucratic organizations.
In the military, it is typically said that you have two enemies. One in front and one behind. It is sometimes a matter of debate which is the worst. I think this metaphor can be extended across all organizations.
What’s happening here?
What do these factors demonstrate?
They are symptoms of low, low Social Intelligence.
It means that collective negative emotions have the high ground.
It means that these environments are toxic. They are bad for your physical and mental health.
Many organizations wear the clothes of The Agile Organization; but that is as deep as it goes.
They play the game; they look good; they talk the talk; but when push comes to shove, they are found wanting. They communicate using passive aggression — you know this voice, it’s like a monotone, rational, logical mode of speaking that is without emotion. It’s about controlling situations. It’s about weak egos who play the promotion game.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to ODILE⁺ × Media to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.