No Hard Feelings: The Secret Power of Embracing Emotions at Work

But what is belonging, exactly? Diversity is having a seat at the table, inclusion is having a voice, and belonging is having that voice be heard.

If that doesn’t work, come up with an excuse to end the discussion (“I have a ton of emails waiting for a response”).

Don’t get pulled in by complainers. If you have a coworker who gripes incessantly, try to push them toward action by asking, “What could you have done differently?” or “What can you do about it now?”

important meetings begin with a coffee tasting. This practice creates a collegial atmosphere that makes it easier for the group to agree on next steps or final decisions

“People don’t take emotional culture seriously enough,” advises Wharton professor Sigal Barsade. “They’ll point to other parts of a job that are great on paper.

‘I’d like to find a way to get this done earlier each quarter. I know I often leave these meetings frustrated, and I imagine you also periodically feel frustrated. Can we talk about why that is and how we might design a better process?’”

Try the 10/5 rule that the Ritz-Carlton trains its staff to follow: when employees walk within ten feet of someone, they make eye contact and smile. If they walk within five feet, they say hello. This simple policy, which has also been implemented at hospitals, makes customers and employees happier. (As one hotel encourages its employees, “A smile

At Mollie’s IDEO office in New York, Thursday lunches are dedicated to Make(believe) time. Creative activities like aromatic finger painting, writing group haiku poems, and blind contour drawing help employees get goofy.

At the beginning of meetings, leadership adviser Anese Cavanaugh has everyone rate their mood on a scale of zero to ten. Anese asks people who feel low (less than a five) if they can do anything in the next few minutes to raise their number. Say a team member feels stressed about an email he needs to answer. Anese will encourage him to leave the ro