Too Emotional at Work?

Are you a Spouter, Acceptor, Believer or Solver? Anne Kreamer, author of It’s Always Personal: Emotion in the New Workplace, says knowing your – or your coworker’s – emotional type can help women deal better with feelings at work.

“I created The Workplace Emotion Evaluation Profile,” Kreamer tells PINK. “It’s a diagnostic tool to help people get a fix on their natural level of emotional resiliency.”

The test asks questions like: do you get emotional easily (like while watching a sad movie), do you bring work issues home with you and if your mood is generally evident to your coworkers. Kreamer also tells how to deal with emotions like anger, fear, anxiety, and crying.

Here’s how to keep emotion in check: 

Kreamer uses the acronym DING: take Deep breaths, Imagine what the other person is feeling, Name those emotions and, lastly, Go on. “Take a moment to reflect and use your observations to move the situation forward.”

Experts say managers are often responsible for breaking bad or awkward news. Backing the decision with reasoning, being honest, timing it right and reminding your audience of the bigger picture may soften the blow.

One workplace blog notes that Kreamer’s book highlights how women are often the “harsher critics” of workplace crying because they feel it perpetuates the stereotype of women being weak.

From irritation and nervousness to disappointment and aggravation, Mind Tools gives step-by-step tips for keeping your cool in undesirable situations.

Bonus PINK Link: Always striving for perfection can make anyone an emotional wreck. Here’s how to let perfection go. 

By Caroline Cox 

“The sign of an intelligent people is their ability to control
their emotions by the application of reason.” Marya Mannes