“The past two years of compounding emotional strain have made it increasingly clear that managers need to shift their focus to meeting and supporting employees’ emotional well-being. It’s no longer enough to simply provide the operational tools and resources for your team to function — you also need to create psychological safety for them to thrive. That means getting comfortable with having uncomfortable conversations. It can be hard to know the right thing to say when someone discloses something painful or emotional to you.”
In a recent meeting with industry colleagues, we all agreed we are seeing this big time. Managers are being called upon to inquire about their people as PEOPLE and not just as workers. The dichotomy of work life versus personal life no longer exists. It is essential for managers to have these skills and engage in vulnerable, emotional conversations.
Author Sarah Noll Wilson shares specific examples of emotionally dismissive language versus emotionally supportive language. If you find yourself struggling in this area and don’t know what to say, check out her entire Harvard Business Review article here.