Should Love Be Present in The Workplace?
How much time do you spend each day doing your job? You probably spend most of your waking hours doing your job; possibly away from home; at least a minimum of 8 hours per day; that is 1/3 of each day? You spend more time at work each day than you do your waking hours with your families and loved ones. You are spending a minimum of 1/3 of your life at work.
Should you have the expectation that you can be satisfied, happy and fulfilled at work or is that reserved only for the other parts of your life?Do you still operate from the old school mentality that “work is called work for a reason”; or other sound bites that resemble:
Work is hard
The work environment should not be fun
You cannot bring your whole self to work
Check your personal life and your emotions at the door
You don’t need to be friends or friendly with your co-workers, etc.
Thankfully a “mindset shift” is beginning to occur? Enlightened companies are starting to understand that you not only need to love what you do and do what you love for success; but employees also need to feel love (companionate love) at work too. When this happens, you receive stronger business outcomes, success, employee well-being and performance. Incorporating emotion into your culture is a win/win; both for the business and the people THRIVE.
So, “What’s Love got to do with it?”
Love is a word that you do not typically hear echoed in the office hallways or conference rooms; yet, it does have a strong influence on workplace outcomes.The kind of love I am talking about is “companionate love”. These environments contain more warmth, caring, affection and connection; and those who perceive greater connection, caring and affection from their colleagues perform better.Employees who feel they work in a loving, caring culture reported higher levels of satisfaction and teamwork, lower absenteeism, less emotional exhaustion, improved performance and higher client outcomes. What leader does not want that?
Human beings strive to find meaning in day to day life. In fact, you are wired (your brain) to desire social connection. It is what keeps you alive and makes you human. Because much of your life is spent at work it seems like a “no brainer” that you have satisfying work, good relationships at work, in an environment that contains warmth, caring and connection alongside people who care about you; companionate love😊! Love and a sense of belonging are as necessary as the air you breathe.
How do you cultivate and sustain a culture of companionate love?
Focus on:
Caring for and being interested in colleagues and friends
Provide support to others, including offering kindness and compassion when others are struggling
Avoiding blame and forgiving mistakes
Treating one another with respect, gratitude, trust and integrity
The small everyday moments: a warm smile, a kind note, a sympathetic ear.
Random acts of kindness – be “other aware”. If your teammate is working hard on a deadline, pick them up lunch, water or a soda.
As a leader:
Pay attention to the emotions you are expressing every day to employees. Your mood creates the blueprint for your group.
Foster social connections
Show empathy
Encourage employees to talk with and connect with you; this creates psychological safety
Go out of your way to help
Consider how your company’s policies and practices can foster greater affection, caring and compassion amongst workers.
When you make kind, generous actions a way of life at work, stress will not vanish, but it will make it more manageable. With this new insight, ask yourself, “what can I do this week to create a more nurturing, supportive, and caring environment in the workplace?