As an HR leader, I’m constantly searching for ways to improve workplace culture and increase employee satisfaction. One area that I’ve become particularly passionate about is emotional diversity and granularity.
I have realized that building an emotionally intelligent organization is not just about being empathetic or having a good bedside manner. It’s about recognizing that each individual experiences and expresses emotions uniquely.
Let us discover in detail-
Understanding The Terms
It’s crucial to understand the difference between the two terms.
Emotional diversity refers to the wide range of emotions individuals experience, including positive and negative.
Emotional granularity, on the other hand, refers to the ability to identify and label these emotions accurately. It means that individuals with high emotional granularity can express a broad spectrum of emotions with nuance.
Both are essential components of emotional intelligence and link to numerous benefits in the workplace.
The Power of Emotional Granularity
I have seen firsthand the transformative power of emotional granularity in the workplace.
#1. Better Collaboration:
When every employee is able to self-introspect their emotions, they can express their needs and feelings to their colleagues in a much more elaborative manner. Let us consider your team has to deliver a challenging project that requires heavy brainstorming sessions with your team members. If the workplace is emotionally intelligent and diversified, different approaches can be discussed, and the team will agree upon a consensus. They might utilise the power of emotional granularity to address any conflicts and prevent escalation.
#2. Effective Decision-Making:
Emotional granularity helps individuals regulate their emotions and make more thoughtful and rational decisions. It is critical in high-stress situations where emotions can easily cloud judgment.
#3. Increased Innovation:
Let’s consider your company is developing a new product or feature. If you have emotionally diversified team members, then their range of emotions and experiences can help in understanding the needs of their prospects. Additionally, they can utilise emotional granularity to develop and experiment with different messaging strategies that can resonate with people emotionally.
#4. Better Employee Mental Health:
When individuals get the space to share their full range of emotions, they are less likely to feel isolated or burnt out. By normalizing to build emotional connections, we strive for a culture where employees feel comfortable and feel free to seek help. This sense of community is necessary to build a healthy workforce.
Barriers to Embracing Emotional Diversity
There could be cultural, individual, or systemic barriers to make emotionally diversified workplace. These barriers can result in a culture of emotional homogeneity that can hamper creativity and innovation.
#1. Cultural:
As per different cultures across the world, expressing anger or insecurity is seen as a sign of weakness. It can result in suppressing individuals’ emotions in the workplace. Additionally, cultural upbringing can result in lack of understanding and empathy towards team members who express feelings differently.
#2. Individual:
Fear of judgment or repercussions might make employees uncomfortable in expressing their emotions at the workplace. Past experiences or personal beliefs can also stem out this fear. Furthermore, some individuals might lack the emotional language to express their emotions, making it difficult to communicate effectively with others.
#3. Systemic:
Systemic barriers include leadership styles, organizational policies, and workplace structures. For example, an authoritarian leadership style that includes emotional resistance can build a culture where any employee will resent back before expressing their emotions freely. Micromanagement and strict work-from-home policies can limit employees to have emotional connections at workplace.
Cultivating Emotional Granularity in the Workplace
I believe it is our responsibility to provide employees with the tools and resources they need to develop their emotional granularity.
#1. Training Programs:
Roll out training programs and workshops that help employees learn emotional intelligence. These help employees learn how to identify their feelings and develop skills for managing their emotions in the workplace. In addition, mindful sessions encourage individuals to be in the moment.
#2. Team-building Activities:
Conduct team building activities to encourage open communication and empathy. For example, exercises, where team members share personal stories or engage in role-playing scenarios, can help develop emotional intelligence. Additionally, creating opportunities for social interaction outside of work can help to build stronger relationships.
#3. Regular Check-ins:
Manager or mentor interactions are key to cultivating emotional granularity in the workplace. Create an environment where employees feel comfortable discussing their emotions and receiving feedback. These check-ins can also help managers identify potential issues before they escalate, leading to more effective problem-solving and conflict resolution.
#4. Supportive Work Culture:
Create a culture that values unique perspectives and encourages open communication. Put in place HR policies and procedures that prioritize emotional well-being. For example, at Utthunga, we use HROne moodbots to get real-time feedback about employee feelings and virtual badges to recognize employee contributions on internal social platforms.
#5. Leadership by Example:
Finally, it’s crucial to lead by example. I strive to model emotional intelligence in all employee interactions. It means expressing empathy and understanding when employees are going through difficult situations and providing constructive feedback in a supportive and compassionate way.
It is also important to acknowledge that fostering emotional granularity is a continuous process that requires ongoing effort. While these concepts may seem abstract, many real-life organizations have successfully implemented strategies to promote emotional granularity.
Google has implemented a program called ‘Search Inside Yourself‘ that helps develop emotional intelligence and mindfulness skills. Similarly, at Pixar, employees participate in regular ‘Braintrust’ meetings where they are encouraged to openly discuss their emotions and provide candid feedback on each other’s work. It has led to a more collaborative and innovative workplace culture, which has resulted in numerous successful films.
Rounding Off
By recognizing and valuing the emotional experiences of our colleagues, we create an environment where everyone feels heard and understood. I urge all leaders to prioritize emotional diversity and granularity in their organizations. Let’s work together to create a workplace that celebrates the uniqueness of each individual and cultivates an environment of empathy and understanding.