Managing emotions in the workplace: a key lever

Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your business? 

Hello, my business is fairly simple but not simplistic: I teach people why and how they can manage their emotions and stress to promote physical, mental and social health. 

Today, the importance of this subject is widely recognised by the most eminent researchers. In an interview, Ellen Langer, a Harvard psychologist renowned for her numerous studies over more than 40 years, states that «stress is the main cause of our illnesses, much more so than diet, genetics or even treatments. In the long term, psychology will be the most important aspect of your well-being. In the long run, psychology will be the most important aspect of your well-being.» 

It's very simple, yet in medicine we're used to tackling the countless consequences of stress, using very complicated and costly methods, instead of treating the root cause. 

We're a bit like those people who buy a complex piece of equipment (our bodies) and use it without reading the instructions, or if they do read them, don't put them into practice. No wonder there are so many problems with after-sales service! 

I'm a link in the chain, so to speak. And the heart of the problem and the solution is our emotions. It goes way beyond physical health.

What role do emotions play in business today? 

Frankly, I don't really want to separate emotions in the workplace from emotions in life. People who work are first and foremost human beings. Often, the problems encountered in the workplace stem from the fact that they forget that they are just human beings in a global population on a single small planet! Whatever the type or size of a company, they are supposed to provide a service to human beings, by human beings, in this global whole that is our little planet.

populated not only by human beings, but also by flora and fauna. And having this global awareness makes all the difference. 

Once again, numerous studies and examples show how putting emotions back at the heart of work can solve many problems and lead to innovative and satisfying solutions: relationships between employees, motivation, a sense of a job well done, etc. If you look closely, everything is linked to emotions because it is our emotions, whether conscious or subconscious, that initiate our choices, absolutely all our choices. 

What makes managing them difficult for managers and HR? 

When it comes to teaching, you can't be afraid of repeating yourself. Once again, it's this dissociation between the work, the results and the heart, the human element. The best entrepreneurs and companies that put service and people at the heart of their processes are winners in every respect. Managers and HR, 

like many human beings, have not all learned to act from the heart, from their emotions. For example, some people from old school, to think that we are above of others and not with to complete a mission can also be a serious problem.  

The results we deplore in our company are due to this. The results we welcome are due to this. It's not an opinion, it's a fact.

What are the main consequences of poor emotional management at work? 

When a company's employees do not manage their emotions well, this can affect a number of aspects: 

• individual health 
• relational health and the fluidity of exchanges, motivation, quality, etc. - the health of the company. 

Every link in the chain is important, and that starts with our emotions - I can't argue with that! 

I teach cardiac coherence from the HeartMath Institute and we compare coherence to the work of a good rowing team. I don't know if you've ever tried rowing: I have and it's been catastrophic! For everything to work, everyone has to be in their right place, everyone does their job perfectly, at the right time, in the right place, and everything flows smoothly. 

TOGETHER. That's how you avoid falling overboard, find the right rhythm and make it to the finish line!

What practical solutions do you recommend for managing emotions more effectively in the workplace? 

Well, my job is first and foremost to educate. Nelson Mandela said, «Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.» As a former speech and language therapist who has seen a lot for 29 years and counting, I would add that bad education, just like good education, can change the world! How do you feel about the state of the world today? Yet the right information has been known for eons. 

When people start to get the right information and become aware of everything they can do upstream, we can start to change the world for the better, one person at a time. 

In practical terms, I offer training and transformation conferences, or individual coaching sessions, or other tools such as a game I've created inspired by positive psychology and other tried and tested practices, or a show (in preparation)... where I combine information and practice, if you like. 

So that everyone can leave with ideas and very concrete things to put in place, right away. Often, it's simple and costs nothing to set up, just a little goodwill and discipline... 

After all, everyone knows the basics of common sense, and have done since at least ancient times! I try to remind people of the basics, with solid scientific backing, to instil the motivation to take individual responsibility, to take back the reins of their emotions, because people are not sufficiently aware of all the mechanisms and consequences of their choices. And they don't know that all their choices are dictated by their emotions: their work, their relationships, their eating habits... everything! 

I want them to understand that they can choose their emotions to get the results they want. prefer.  

It always comes down to this. 

Now, you also know that I can be talkative on this fascinating subject, but you've given me carte blanche! I hope that these answers, if published, will help some of you to reflect on your responsibility and your emotions. 

Because I forgot to mention it: the happier and more at peace you are, the better everything works in all spheres of life! 

Someone once said: «In the atmosphere of joy, all things prosper» and as well as rhyming with my surname, that's my philosophy. 

«Elementary, my dear Watson?