The unique situation has forced most of us to work from home. Both managers and their team members have found themselves in a new “home” reality, where we often spend 24/7 with our partners, and frequently with our children as well. How does this affect us, our loved ones, and our managerial effectiveness?
The very situation of being forced into isolation and having to change our daily routines, along with new challenges associated with transitioning to online work, can raise stress levels and trigger various emotional states. We may feel lost, experience a sense of losing control, or become irritated…
An additional challenge in this situation can be working with “children on our laps.” They see mom or dad at home and think it’s the perfect time for play. And right during our teleconference or when we need to focus on a task, they have to tell us they’re hungry, thirsty, need to go to the bathroom immediately… or simply want a hug. We love them, but that doesn’t exclude feelings like frustration or sometimes even anger. This is completely natural, and most of us experiencing similar situations would feel the same way.
Our emotions arise independently of us—whether we want them to or not—and they directly impact our “thinking” and the actions we take.
In the context of the “emotional home office,” we can examine emotions and relationships from three perspectives: I, YOU, WE. Additionally, we have two dimensions: personal and professional. This means we should be aware of and take into account:
- ME: our own emotions
- YOU: the emotions of our partner/child and their impact on our relationships
- WE: our shared emotions and their impact on our collective relationships
- YOU: the emotions of individual team members and their impact on our relationships
- WE: our collective emotions as a team and their impact on our relationships
As “online managers” in the current situation, and aiming to consciously manage our emotions, it may be worth paying closer attention to our feelings – naming them more frequently and in real-time to have full awareness of them.
Emotional Intelligence (EI) models show that the first step in managing your emotions is becoming aware of them.
At the same time, it’s important to remember – and pay more attention to – the fact that our partners, children, co-workers, and team members (YOU) are likely engaging with us with their own emotions. They, too, are in their own “emotional home office.”
In the current unique situation, the emotional state and moods of our team members seem as important as business operations. “Leading” teams through emotionally and relationally challenging times seem to be as crucial a task for leaders as achieving business goals. Or perhaps even more important at the moment?
And what is working for you in managing your own emotions and relationships with others right now?