Why is it important for managers to consider infectious emotions?
Emotional contagion has been researched for around 25 years and has yielded some interesting insights into how emotions work. One research at the University of Rochester showed that placing people in the same space as a highly motivated person improved their overall enthusiasm and performance. When participants were placed in a room with someone who was lacking in inspiration, their motivation and drive levels plummeted as well.
Participants were unaware of the impact the inspired or unmotivated personality was having on them in both situations, demonstrating how individuals can be vulnerable to their emotions being used.
What is the root of these infectious feelings?
What is the cause of this phenomenon? It seems to be linked to social cohesion; as a means of forming relationships, humans are conditioned to become tuned into and associated with the emotions of others around them. Dr. Elaine Hatfield, a clinical scientist and a leading authority on emotional contagion, believes that we’re hardwired to unintentionally mimic one another’s gestures from an early age. We continue to mimic our surroundings in our lives.
To put it another way, feelings aren’t about things that people feel on a personal basis. It’s tempting to think of emotions as one-of-a-kind and intimate, but this isn’t true. They will affect others by serving as social cues. They can foster social harmony, but the power of one person’s authority on another can be a double-edged sword. The word “toxic personality” is undoubtedly one you’ve used before. That’s an example of emotional contagion in action: a person whose emotions constantly leave those around them feeling low and exhausted without even understanding why.
Why is it important for people leaders and administrators to be aware of infectious emotions?
Emotions have the ability to affect how people behave because they are infectious, and this is so in the workplace as well. As a result, it’s crucial for people leaders and managers to understand that emotions can be infectious, reduce their potentially negative consequences, and instead find ways to harness them for the organization’s benefit.
Many businesses are now taking steps to recognize the effect feelings can have on their employees’ emotional health and well-being by programs related to mental health and well-being. Given how infectious feelings can be, these forms of programs and interventions are even more important. Of course, some individuals are more susceptible to being impacted than others (something that can be discussed further using the 15 Point Emotional Contagion Scale), but the feelings of others can have an effect on us all, to a greater or lesser degree.
Employees should not drop their feelings at the door when they come to work.
It’s normal if there’s a feeling that when we’re at work, we all go into ‘professional’ mode, leaving our emotions at the entrance. Although there might be times where workers put on a brave face, such as while working directly with consumers or clients, it’s unrealistic to expect your feelings will be switched off completely.
But, what does this mean in terms of how administrators treat their employees in order to achieve optimum results? What would they do to sway basic emotions?
It all begins at the top.
A leader who respects the value of mental health and wellness will have a huge positive effect on those who work with him or her. This is partially due to the fact that the mental state of people in positions of authority has an effect on subordinates; workers are particularly vulnerable to their boss’s emotions.
It can, in truth, set the tone above all else, as discussed in this TED talk. It indicates that the best predictor of a boss’s leadership capacity is how people react after spending time with him or her.
Since emotions are causal, managers must consider the causes and promote positivity.
As a boss, it’s important to realize that workers have ups and downs and to provide a constructive, welcoming atmosphere for those who are having a tough day. Understanding how an employee’s feelings will affect the entire workforce, both positively and negatively, provides an incentive for management to be updated about the role of emotions. This puts them in a better position to understand feelings in a nonjudgmental manner. It encourages them to help people who are feeling negative feelings or to use an employee’s positive emotions to benefit and improve the team.
How should businesses rely on fostering a more positive environment in the workplace?
What sorts of optimistic feelings should be consciously promoted, considering that they are potentially contagious? There are many complementary approaches a company should take to make its workers feel included, trusted, respected, and supported, ranging from celebrating successes to allowing greater mobility and versatility. Positive reviews, congratulations, and even just looking at someone will all lift one’s mood and lead to a positive society.
Positive feelings can be stimulated and nurtured by processes that increase the consistency and duration of positive feedback, as well as by making room for them.
