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Got that Feeling

It is hard to work in a people oriented business and not have to deal with feelings.  In workforce development, we are dealing with all kinds of feelings because of the implications work has on the day to day lives of people.

Our society places such a high value on work, so it is not doubt the disruption in work causes emotional turmoil. A job loss can bring sadness or anger. Some people may feel they have lost their purpose. Not to mention the stress of the loss of income. In the land of business, a loss of jobs may mean slowing production, less revenue from selling widgets. The disruption causes stress and the emotions the workers have as a result can be chaos.

In workforce development, we have a front row to the emotional roadshow. We see the negative and positive emotions. One day it is sadness of a job loss, another day it the happiness of finding a new career. This means we have to process everyone’s feelings in order to do our jobs.

It is important for us to understand the power of these emotions and our reactions. How do the feelings of others help us do our jobs? Some days we may have motivation to go the extra mile to help someone. Other days, after being the emotional punching bag for someone, we may feel sad, frustrated, or angry. How can we take feelings and make them productive?

This topic is so big, I can dip my toe in the emotional pool, but ultimately we need to keep ourselves going. We need to be self-aware. Until you understand you own feelings, you will not be able to understand other people’s feelings. Do you feel comfortable with people showing their emotions? Being self-aware will not only help you react appropriately, but process the event afterward.
 
For people that work full time, this means more time in working than playing. More time with people that are not family or friends.  Being at work means you will see the emotions of your coworkers also. Regardless if the emotions are those of colleagues or customers, be prepared for their arrival.

~Karen Cirincione
Email:kcirincione@gmail.com
Linked In: www.linkedin.com/in/karenjcirincione
Twitter:@kcirincione

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