Why Emotional Agility is so Important in the Workplace

Emotional agility plays an important role in the workplace. Knowing what values are important to us helps us make decisions that will move us forward rather than keep us stuck in our old patterns. The first step is to face your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors with an open mind. Next, you detach yourself from the situation, setting emotions and thoughts aside to gain an objective view of what’s actually happening. It is here that we are better able to make rational decisions and not ones based on our emotional state.

Practicing emotional agility can help you become a highly impactful leader. Your organization cannot be truly emotionally agile unless the people who work there are. As leaders, it’s crucial we learn to connect with our authentic selves. This includes embracing the good, the bad, and the ugly in our lives and not suppressing those experiences or denying how our emotions impact us. We must learn to recognize and understand our emotions and their impact on our performance.

Importance of Emotional Agility

It's very important for employees to have emotional agility because they aren't able to be fully present and open to their workplace experiences if they're emotionally rigid. That can make it more difficult for them to interact with other employees, see things from the perspective of others, and move ahead in their careers. It may also make it harder for them to work on teams, since they won't easily understand how others feel or be open to trying to examine their own behaviors and the behaviors of others.

Importance of Emotional Agility in Leaders

If you're focused on emotional agility in your workplace, you also need to consider this same goal for leadership positions at your company. When a leader has emotional agility, they can lead by example. They'll also be more likely to have a better understanding of their employees, and work with those employees so that everyone has the most success and feels valued in the workplace .

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If you're trying to encourage your workers and help them be their best, one of the ways you can do that is to show them how to work with their emotions as well as with their thoughts. Since people attach so much emotion to what they're thinking a lot of the time, one of the biggest goals is to help them experience emotional agility. But what that means, how it can be used properly in the workplace, and why it's important may all be foreign concepts. Here's what you need to know.

Emotional Agility Examples

There are several ways to practice emotional agility at work.

Emotional Agility Examples You Can Practice Every Day

One is through facing thoughts and behaviors in your workplace with a mindset that's open, instead of instantly reacting with emotion.

Another is to figure out — and focus on — the core goals and values you have, so you can use them as a compass to guide you in your career.

You can also consider making small but deliberate changes that incorporate the values you have, which could include things like leaving on time, avoiding gossip, dressing for success, and other behaviors that are important to you.?

How to Build Emotional Agility

If you're trying to encourage your workers and help them be their best, one of the ways you can do that is to show them how to work with their emotions as well as with their thoughts. Since people attach so much emotion to what they're thinking a lot of the time, one of the biggest goals is to help them experience emotional agility. But what that means, how it can be used properly in the workplace, and why it's important may all be foreign concepts. Here's what you need to know.

How To Cultivate Emotional Agility In Your Organization

Building a positive workplace culture starts with your leadership. When your leaders show emotional agility, your entire team will follow. This, in turn, builds a more resilient and centered organization.?

So how can leaders foster emotional agility within their companies? It’s all about building agile mindsets into your everyday business practices. Here are some tips for getting there.?

Lead by Example

Leaders define the atmosphere of the organization. Your managers need to show what emotional agility looks like. Leading by example isn’t always easy, especially when emotions are involved. However, when your leaders consciously adopt a positive, adaptable mindset, so will your employees.?

To demonstrate emotional agility, leaders need to learn from their mistakes, manage negative emotions, and avoid dwelling on problems. Be transparent with your employees when you’re feeling frustrated so they can see how you move through the challenge. Setting the example will help your team move into a more positive headspace .?

Reframe Mistakes

If your organization punishes mistakes, your employees will be more likely to fear their errors. This fear is a barrier to emotional agility and overall well-being. In a punitive culture, teams walk on eggshells to avoid making mistakes. And that limiting mindset prevents risk-taking and creativity.?

Leaders can reframe mistakes as learning opportunities to encourage resilience and optimism. Empower your teams to do better next time. When employees grow from their missteps, your entire organization will move forward. Framing mistakes in a more positive light will also build trust within teams.?

Encourage Work-Life Balance

Burnt-out employees will struggle to maintain positive attitudes. If your employees are hesitant to take their PTO or log off at the end of the day, it’s time to make a change. Take a look at the culture and rethink the way you’re communicating with your team.When your team is able to rest and recharge, they can face work challenges head on. Leaders can cultivate a more resilient and agile organization by encouraging work-life balance . Insist that employees take their vacation time and disconnect from work outside of business hours.?

Of course, leaders need to take days off and set limits as well. Your employees will be less likely to maintain their work-life boundaries when they see the boss sending emails late into the night.?

Hire the Right People?

As a leader, your hiring practices shape the company’s culture. A new hire should be more than just a talented individual. They should also be a positive cultural fit. When you onboard a kind and positive individual, they will lift up the rest of the team. A pessimistic newbie, on the other hand, will bring the company’s energy down with them.?

Leaders can hire better cultural fits by assessing personalities and behaviors during the hiring process. Including employees in these interviews can also help determine who would be a positive addition to the team. Watch how potential hires interact with existing staff and listen to your intuition. You’ll know who you want to work with every day.?

Foster Open Conversations

Trust is a significant factor in building emotional agility. When employees can’t be forthcoming about their struggles, they won’t be able to grow. They may dwell on their frustrations in isolation and allow small work problems to take over their thoughts.

Encourage your company’s leaders to have open and judgment-free conversations with their team members, preferably one-on-one. These check-ins give employees an opportunity to talk through any issues they might be facing. Leaders can shape mindsets and reward transparency with encouragement.?

Stick to Your Values?

Most organizations have a set of values that drive their everyday practices. But it’s not enough to simply say “Treat others with respect” or “Make ethical choices.” Leaders need to act on them. If employees see leaders berate their subordinates or approve company initiatives that harm the community, they’ll know your company values are no more than window dressing.

Instead, strive to live up to the values your company espouses. Values like trust, learning, and positivity all foster emotional agility. Acting according to these principles will create a more supportive environment for your employees.?

Provide Learning Opportunities?

You don’t want teams to remain stagnant. Cultivating emotional agility involves reframing mistakes and providing positive feedback. Ongoing learning opportunities can turn these practices into life-long skills, developing future leaders in the process.?

These learning opportunities might include training on emotional agility, specifically. However, courses on giving and receiving constructive criticism, managing stress, and cultivating positivity can all relate as well. The key is to empower your leaders and employees to show up for themselves and their colleagues. This will create a more supportive organization.?

In today’s workplace, mindset is just as important as hard skills. When your team is able to bounce back from mistakes and maintain positivity, your entire company will benefit. As a leader, it’s your job to demonstrate and encourage emotional agility. That’s the key to a happy and high-performing workforce.