A Research Paper By Daria Daves, Leadership & Life Coach, GERMANY
Emotions at the Workplace Matter
This research paper raises the question of why it is important to understand employees’ emotions for a more positive and productive workplace. It offers valuable insights into the appearance of emotions at the workplace and their impact on our personal and professional lives. Ultimately, it provides an overview of the potential actions that employers and employees can take to contribute to a more positive and productive work environment.
How Do Emotions Appear in the Workplace?
Research conducted by Quantum Workplace[i]has found that we all have to deal with daily situations at work that can cause positive, as well as negative emotions.
Obviously, emotions differ from person to person and different situations can lead to different emotions. However, according to the research, the most common negative emotions in individual contributors are frustration, stress, and anxiety. Compared to other roles, managers are more likely to feel stressed and annoyed, whereas leaders may feel more anxious.
In contrast to that, positive emotions such as comfort, satisfaction, and enthusiasm are also common in the workplace. Managers tend to feel more energetic, enthusiastic, and happy, whereas individual workers are more likely to feel comfortable.
What Do Employees Name as Common Reasons for the Emotions of Stress, Frustration, and Anxiety at the Workplace?
The following paragraphs summarize common reasons for stress, frustration, and anxiety as brought up in research based on interviews with employees.
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Common Reasons for Work-Related Stress
The survey findings by the international Paylab.com portal[ii] show reasons for work-related stress, suggesting that job demands and pressure to perform are significant sources of stress among workers. One-fourth of employees reported feeling overwhelmed by their duties and responsibilities, and their financial problems. For managers, this number was even higher, with one-third reporting high levels of stress.
In addition to pressure at work, factors such as excessive overtime and too little time off (16%), feeling burned out (15%), lack of work-life balance (12 %), high expectations from superiors and clients (12% and 9%), poor relations with colleagues (9%) and difficulty managing workload (7%) also contributed to stress among employees.
Employees interviewed by Quantum Workplace stated similar work-related stress reasons like workload, deadlines, pressure, and lack of communication and support. The following table shows examples of employee comments for each work-related stress reason:
Factors contributing to work-related stress | Examples of employee comments | Experienced emotion (s) |
Heavy workload and tight deadlines | “I feel stressed because we have too many duties and tight deadlines.” “I felt stressed and overwhelmed due to the amount of work that needed to be done in such little time.” | stressed |
Pressure to find a new job | “I feel under pressure to find a better job.” | stressed, pressured |
Lack of communication from the manager | “My manager was not communicating with me, cutting my projects and making me feel like I was not a valuable employee. I was stressed, miserable, and unhappy.” | stressed, miserable, unhappy |
Overwhelming work and unhelpful clients | “I felt a lot of anxiety and stress at my last job as a project manager. It was really overwhelming with a ton of work to do, and my client wasn’t helpful or understanding” | anxious, stressed, overwhelmed |
It is important to note that companies today must navigate the challenges of an ever more demanding and competitive market environment, which can lead to job stress for employees. Job stress occurs for example when an employee’s abilities, resources, and needs are not matched by the demands of their job. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, job stress can result in harmful physical and emotional responses. To prevent stress and promote a healthy workforce, employers must ensure clear expectations and achievable goals are in place, as well as provide sufficient resources for their employees.
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Common Reasons for Work-Related Frustration
Employees interviewed by Quantum Workplace stated factors like micromanaging and lack of trust, support, and information, as well as miscommunication, boredom, and slow career progress as reasons for work-related frustration, giving the following examples:
Source of frustration |
Examples of employee comments |
Experienced emotion(s) |
Micromanaging boss |
“I feel frustrated because my boss is not trusting me. I can see that he is micromanaging me.” |
frustrated |
Lack of support |
“I was upset and frustrated that the manager on call refused to come in and help at an extremely urgent time.” |
frustrated and upset |
Lack of information |
“I get most frustrated when people don’t share information with me that I need to do my job correctly.” |
frustrated |
Career progress |
“I felt frustrated that I wasn’t getting anywhere in my career.” |
frustrated |
As shown above, there are a lot of factors that can contribute to frustration. Frustration can resent itself in a variety of ways. Employees who are frustrated might also feel annoyed, miserable, and even unhappy. It is important to note, that when employees get frustrated, it can take a long time for them to think differently about their role, their team, and their organization.
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Common Reasons for Work-Related Anxiety
The findings by Quantum Workplace suggest several reasons for work-related anxiety as lack of knowledge, job insecurity, and misunderstandings, giving the following examples:
Factors contributing to work-related anxiety |
Examples of employee comments |
Experienced emotion(s) |
Being instructed to do something unknown |
“I felt anxious when I was instructed to do something that I did not know how to do. I was too anxious to ask for step-by-step directions.” |
anxious |
Fear of job security due to the company’s financial situation |
“My anxiety stemmed from my company letting me know they were no longer profitable. This made me fearful for my job and my future.” |
anxious, fearful |
Misunderstandings with clients |
“A client misunderstood what I was saying and thought I was purposely being rude to her. I was very worried and anxious about the situation, and how my boss would react.” |
anxious, worried |
It is important to note, that negative emotions such as anxiety can hinder an employee’s performance and well-being at the workplace. Anxiety stems from feelings of insecurity and often leads to feelings of being unsupported, misunderstood, or undervalued. When anxiety persists and becomes overwhelming, it can negatively impact the individual’s personal and professional goals, overall well-being, and behavior.
These studies highlight the importance of understanding and managing negative emotions in the workplace. Although it is normal to experience negative emotions, persistent, disruptive, or excessively negative emotions can have a significant impact on individuals, relationships, and job performance.
How Can Emotions Impact Individuals, Relationships, and Job Performance?
Negative emotions are a natural and common aspect of the human experience. Some levels of negative emotions can be beneficial, serving as a warning or motivation. However, research has shown that excessive or prolonged negative emotions can have a significant impact on both private and professional life including the areas of job performance, success and career development, personal growth, relationships, overall well-being, and life satisfaction as well as behavior. The following table shows the possible impacts of negative emotions in these areas in comparison to positive emotions and the potential for transformation and improvement:
Area |
Possible impacts of negative emotions |
Possible impacts of positive emotions |
Job performance, success, and career development |
Feeling demotivated and less productive at work, reducing engagement and task performance |
Feeling energized and motivated, increasing focus and productivity, creativity and innovation |
Problem-solving and decision-making |
Feeling overwhelmed and unable to make a decision, inhibiting creativity, and impeding cognitive flexibility |
Feeling curious and open-minded, broadening attention and enhancing creativity, and improving cognitive flexibility |
Personal growth |
Feeling defeated and giving up on learning new skills, fostering a fixed mindset that hinders personal growth and development |
Feeling confident and motivated, fostering a growth mindset, and increasing self-esteem and self-efficacy |
Relationship and social connections |
Feeling angry and resentful towards a friend or family member, decreasing trust and cooperation, and inhibiting empathy and understanding of others |
Feeling grateful and appreciative, strengthening relationships, cooperation, and trust, promoting empathy and understanding of others |
Overall well-being and life satisfaction |
Feeling pessimistic or depressed about the future with a more negative outlook on life and life satisfaction |
Feeling happy and content leads to a more positive outlook on life and greater life satisfaction |
Physical and mental health |
Feeling stressed, leading to high blood pressure, anxiety and difficulty sleeping, decreasing resilience, optimism, and hope |
Feeling calm and relaxed, reducing stress and lowering blood pressure. Feeling hopeful and optimistic, increasing resilience |
If we don’t know how to control our negative emotions, we may behave in a negative way that won’t benefit us, or our team. It is essential to proactively recognize and manage negative emotions in the workplace to foster a positive and productive environment both in private and in professional life.
What Can Employers Do to Contribute to a Positive and Productive Work Environment?
There are various strategies employers can support their employees in managing negative emotions such as stress, frustration, and anxiety at the workplace. Here is a table illustrating strategies that can play a role in creating a more positive and productive work environment.
Employer Strategy |
Impacted emotion(s) |
Description |
Set boundaries and manage workloads |
Stress |
Help employees set limits on their availability and make sure that workloads are manageable |
Improve communication |
Stress |
Provide frequent, open, transparent, and consistent communication between managers and employees, particularly for those who work with customers |
Foster career progress |
Frustration |
Improve career development opportunities |
Provide resources |
Stress Frustration Anxiety |
Offer resources such as an employee assistance program, on-site counseling or coaching services, or stress-management training to help employees cope with stress, frustration, and anxiety |
Foster a positive work culture |
Stress Frustration Anxiety |
Create a positive and inclusive work culture that promotes collaboration, respect, and support among team members. This can help reduce stress and create a sense of community |
Promote healthy coping strategies |
Stress Anxiety |
Encourage employees to practice relaxation techniques, exercise regularly, and take breaks to manage stress and reduce anxiety |
Practice self-care |
Stress |
Model healthy stress management behaviors and practice self-care by taking breaks, getting enough sleep, eating well, and finding healthy ways to manage stress |
Offer coaching support for employees to increase self-awareness and self-management |
Stress Frustration Anxiety |
Offer employees access to coaching or therapy services that help reframe negative thoughts and emotions |
Encourage open communication |
Stress Frustration Anxiety |
Encourage employees to speak up about their concerns and stressors, and create an open and supportive environment where employees feel comfortable discussing their needs |
What Can Employees Do to Contribute to a Positive and Productive Work Environment?
Employees can effectively manage negative emotions in the workplace by adopting the following practices.
Employee Strategy |
Area |
Description |
Practice mindfulness and self-awareness |
Stress, Frustration, Anxiety |
Being aware of one’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors can help identify and manage negative emotions |
Develop healthy coping mechanisms |
Stress, Frustration, Anxiety |
Finding healthy ways to cope with stress and negative emotions such as exercise, meditation, journaling, or talking to a trusted friend, coach, or therapist |
Communicate effectively |
Frustration, Anxiety |
Communicating concerns and negotiating solutions with colleagues, managers, or the HR department |
Set boundaries |
Stress |
Setting clear limits on the availability and making sure workloads are manageable |
Maintain work-life balance |
Stress |
Prioritizing personal and professional life to reduce stress and avoid burnout |
Focus on personal growth |
Stress, Frustration, Anxiety |
Improving well-being and building resilience through personal growth and development |
Seek support |
Stress, Frustration, Anxiety |
Seeking support from co-workers, supervisors, human resources, coach or therapist, or professional support services and counseling services. |
These strategies can help employees better manage their negative emotions stress, frustration, and anxiety and create a more positive productive, and overall healthier work environment.
Understanding and Addressing Employees’ Emotions
Understanding and addressing employees’ emotions is crucial for creating a positive and productive workplace. This research paper highlights the significance of emotions in the workplace and their impact on employees, relationships, and job performance. By recognizing and managing emotions, employers and employees can contribute to a more positive and supportive work environment, leading to increased productivity and satisfaction. This research paper also emphasizes the responsibility of both employers and employees in implementing the suggested actions and strategies. These actions promote emotional intelligence and contribute to improved employee engagement, collaboration, and success.
Personally, I believe that we should turn our focus more towards our negative emotions, find a bigger acceptance for their existence in daily life, and acknowledge their unrevealed potential, instead of blaming ourselves for their existence or trying to ignore them which has a negative effect on our private and professional life. As a coach, my intention is to support my clients find their own way to deal with negative emotions occurring around external situations or relationships that are common and frequent in their private or professional lives. I want to enable them to turn their workplace into a better and healthier environment achieve their full potential and be their very best selves even in heated and emotionally challenging situations.
References
[i] https://www.quantumworkplace.com/future-of-work/emotions-in-the-workplace-how-to-deal-with-emotions-at-work
[ii] https://www.paylab.com/newsroom/what-are-the-major-stress-factors-causing-employees-to-lose-sleep/50269