Monthly Archives November 2011

Expressing Emotions – why, in the workplace, is it so hard to talk about feelings?

Emotions can be defined as a spontaneous rather than conscious feeling. They can be feelings of joy, sorrow, reverence, hate and love. Emotions are an unavoidable part of being human. When we recognize that someone else is preventing us from achieving our goals or preventing us from getting what we want, emotions often heat up and conflict becomes the inevitable result. Apparent threats or signs of disrespect may cause emotions to seethe. The intensity of the emotion signifies its importance to us. Therefore the more important the situation and the stronger we feel about it, the more likely the conflict… Continue Reading Expressing Emotions – why, in the workplace, is it so hard to talk about feelings?
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Categories: Communication and Behavior, Culture, Managing Emotions, and Uncategorized.

Anger and Conflict

Conflict is rife with emotion. One that we frequently encounter is anger. While it is often a secondary emotion that is initially triggered by fear, anger is more visible and can trigger ineffective responses to conflict. One of the Conflict Dynamics Profile (CDP) active destructive responses is Displaying Anger which involves acting out the inner emotion. Angry displays can include raising one’s voice, swearing, and physical displays like slamming your hand on a table. Suppressed anger can also leak out as demeaning or retaliatory behaviors. These types of responses tend to escalate and prolong conflict because the emotions of the… Continue Reading Anger and Conflict
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Categories: Communication and Behavior, Managing Emotions, and Uncategorized.