Emotion focused collaboration
Reaction or Creation?
Whether in the context of team work, the collaboration between you and your clients or from the leadership’s role perspective, emotions are present in our business lives.
While reason leads to conclusions, it is the emotion involved that leads to action.
The acknowledgment of this fact is what places Emotional Intelligence on top of the skills required by high performance individuals in the business field.
It is only when you know how to use your emotions that you add your true value to the working place, a value that is beyond the information that you have acquired in time or your intellect.
So let’s look at emotions and, instead of dividing them into good or bad, pleasant or unpleasant, positive or negative, let’s give them the right to transmit the information that they contain in 3 simple steps:
- Awareness
Before reacting to a temporary sensation and instead of clearly judging how you feel, be aware of what exactly is that you feel in your body. Notice the part of your body where you seem to experience the emotion and, more importantly, what thoughts are automatically coming in. Welcome the emotion fully without any resistance as you would welcome a friend that is there to give you a great advice. If the sensation feels too intense for the situation that you are in, breathe softly purposefully sending your breath to that emotion.
2. Reflection
Once your “friend” seems to be settled, invite reason into play and ask yourself:
“Am I in a leadership/colleague/client/business owner role when I act on this emotion?”
We are complex human beings and we fulfill many roles in our daily lives. Emotions don’t seem to care about that too much and they are valuable regardless of the circumstances but for the purpose of this experiment, ground yourself in the moment that requires your attention and in the role that you want to act as.
3. Informed action
Identify the need behind the emotion and use that to help you take action.
This depends completely on your understanding of your emotions. I will mentioned just a few examples on how emotions can be used:
Anger may be used to set healthy boundaries.
Joy may be used to celebrate success.
Excitement may be used to energize engagement.
Shame may be used to seek support.
Sadness may be used to let go of losses and focus on the opportunities.
This is the step where you may start creating what you want to see in your organisation.
In you lie all the answers!
If you need guidance in order to obtain clarity on how you may use the emotions to drive action in your team, your company or your life, feel free to reach out!
