Here's how love can have a strong influence on workplace outcomes.

Now it's important to say that I'm talking about companionate love which is based on warmth and connection and not romantic love!

Research shows that people who work in a culture where they feel free to express affection, tenderness, caring, and compassion for one another­ are more;

• Satisfied with their jobs.
• Committed to the organisation.
• Accountable for their performance.

These findings hold true across industries according to a study* of 3,201 employees by the University of Pennsylvania, carried out across seven different industries.

But despite the evidence, very few senior leadership teams are intentionally building an emotional culture.

This is a mistake.

Broadening the Definition of Culture

Companies typically focus on cognitive culture which sets the tone for how employees think and behave at work including;

• Attributes - e.g. Customer-centricity / Agility.
• Behaviours - e.g. Keep it Simple / Speak Up.
• Processes - Designed to get people to behave in a certain way.
• Stated Values - How the company wants employees to interact day to day.

But have you spotted what's missing? You've got it - human emotions!

The emotional culture is made up of emotions and feelings, including employees' fears and how they're being either expressed or repressed.

It can reinforce the cognitive culture or play against it.

A large gap between emotional and cognitive cultures tends to indicate that the culture is not being actively managed.

And it can create a distance between leaders and their teams, breed cynicism amongst employees and undermine what the business is trying to achieve.

Ideas for Action 👉

There's no quick fix for cultural change. However, the first step you could take is to bring this broader definition of culture to the attention of your leadership team.

In the meantime, there's nothing stopping you making small changes with your immediate team.

Here's some simple ways to get started;

• Identify desirable emotions you'd like to see your team express such as compassion, joy or pride and start to celebrate those who demonstrate them.
• Find ways to bring these emotions to the forefront of your workplace interactions. E.g. By sharing personal anecdotes, pertinent news stories or cultural examples.
• Start speaking the language of "love" by using more emotive language that makes people feel those desired emotions. For example;
  • FROM: "The presentation received positive feedback from the clients."
  • TO: "I'm thrilled to share that the clients absolutely loved the team's presentation! Well done to all involved."

Paying attention to the emotions you’re expressing to your colleagues each day can really make a difference.

And if you'd like help with nurturing a more emotionally expressive culture in your workplace, get in touch by replying to this email.

Our Team Development Programme can help you to identify and shape the emotional culture you want to build, promoting healthier working relationships that are in service of your organisational objectives rather than going against them.

This Week's Painting 🖼️

Take a moment to reflect on what I've shared by watching me paint this week's painting, "Storm of Emotions" ♥️ 👇