let’s face it,
inspiring healthy, high-performance work cultures in the post-pandemic workforce is harder than it used to be. Throwing more money or people at the problem, increasing pressure or expecting employees to just ‘get on with it’ and ‘figure it out’ aren’t working…
Employees today are facing unprecedented levels of stress, uncertainty, and burnout, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the blurring of work-life boundaries. The shift to remote and hybrid work models has introduced communication challenges and feelings of isolation. Moreover, the post-pandemic world is marked by intense socio-political tensions, adding to the already tenuous task of emotional regulation and capacity management at high-performance companies.
How do you motivate employees who are increasingly intolerant of pressure? How do you get people to bring their enthusiasm back to work, bridge the generational divide and row in the same direction?
This is a real challenge for organizations; however, many executives are missing the signs that employees are struggling whether because they are distanced from day-to-day operations or receiving filtered feedback that masks underlying issues. In addition, despite the common sense correlation between positive, emotionally healthy company cultures and employee happiness, retention, and productivity, many executives underestimate its impact on business success. Cultural blind spots, such as personal success bias and resistance to change, further cloud perception. Often we see CEOs delegate cultural issues to HR or operate under outdated leadership models, leading to a cultural lag in adapting to modern workplace expectations.
If you’re thinking, “not my company” or “not my team,” pause for a moment. Despite your best efforts, your team might be struggling — and that doesn’t mean you’re a bad manager or have a toxic culture.
The root issue is that the social-emotional intelligence (SEL) skills taught in early education today were not taught to the current workforce.
Conflict Evasion:
Those demonstrating this behavior adeptly sidestep difficult conversations and unresolved issues, allowing them to fester until they escalate, disrupting team dynamics and potentially leading to breakdowns.
Finger-Pointing and Excuse-Making:
Those who engage in this behavior deflect accountability by blaming others and crafting elaborate excuses, eroding trust and fostering resentment among colleagues, ultimately impeding team unity and progress.
Rumor Milling:
Those involved in this behavior waste no time in spreading rumors and negativity, fostering an atmosphere of distrust and distraction that undermines productivity and cultivates toxicity in the workplace.
Concealed Struggling:
People who adopt this behavior mask their challenges behind a facade of composure, silently bearing the weight of their emotions, risking burnout and personal distress, and dampening team morale and effectiveness.
Disinterested Drifting:
People who manifest this behavior go through the motions with little interest in their work or colleagues, negatively impacting team dynamics and morale, often giving the impression of merely “going through the motions” or “watching the clock.”
Stress Magnetism:
Individuals exhibiting this behavior seem to attract stress effortlessly, magnifying negativity, perceiving challenges as crises, and ultimately spreading unease throughout the workplace.
Explosive Tension:
Individuals prone to this behavior emit volatile energy, frequently experiencing sudden outbursts of anger and aggression, creating palpable tension that destabilizes team dynamics and undermines collaboration.
Distant Leadership:
Individuals who display this behavior show little engagement with the team’s day-to-day operations, failing to grasp the true sentiments and challenges faced by employees, resulting in a disconnect between leadership and staff that harms morale and stifles productivity.
Social-emotional skills are critical for fostering a healthy, high-performance, and resilient workplace.
Here’s how they make a difference:
the transformative impact of eq skills
Increases ability to manage projects, challenges, stress and burnout
Fosters respectful and inclusive work environments
Bridges cultural and generational gaps
Reduces isolation of remote and distributed teams
Empowers wellbeing-centered work
Enhances collaboration and innovation
Builds resilient and adaptive teams
Creates inspired performance
Increases organizational success and profitability
the results are remarkable …
