We recently had the pleasure of hosting Professor Donald E. Gibson for our Emotions@Work Learning Series. As the new Dean of Saint Mary's School of Economics and Business Administration and formerly the Dean of O'Malley School of Business at Manhattan College, Professor Gibson brought a wealth of knowledge about workplace emotions, conflict management, and mentoring.

This event was a rare opportunity to learn from Professor Gibson's deep knowledge of emotions at work. He shared some great insights on how emotions like anger can be both helpful and harmful, giving us useful guidance for building healthier emotional cultures in our organisations. We dove into emotional contagion, measuring emotion, expressing authentic vs. strategic emotions and more.

Conversation Highlights:

When is Anger Helpful?

Anger can be a powerful emotion, especially in an organisation where the culture allows for open expression. If people feel they can express some level of anger, it can be more function...

In a recent interview with R&E Founder Jeremy Dean, Professor Michael Parke from the Wharton School provided some fascinating insights into the role of emotions in the workplace. His thoughts offer a refreshing perspective on how emotions, often considered a workplace taboo, can actually be a force for good in fostering creativity, teamwork, and overall employee well-being.

Here are the key takeaways from the conversation.

1. The Power of Affect Labeling

Parke emphasised the importance of 'affect labelling', a process of articulating negative emotions at work. "When people are able to voice things like frustration or anxiety... it can actually be seen as credible and help managers understand and address the underlying issues," he stated. This approach challenges the traditional notion of keeping negative emotions under wraps and highlights how acknowledging them can lead to constructive outcomes.

2. Creating an Authentic Emotion Climate

Another significant insight was the need to ...