Emotional Labor

Have you ever watched an artist operate a backhoe or a forklift? There are some who simply dig dirt or pile pallets. With others, the work is a gentle ballet, motion against time and space.

I’ve long believed that cooking breakfast at Denny’s was, for me, a combination of karate and ballet. Every movement with purpose, every thought connected to a greater whole. I do believe that you can tell the difference.

When we ask audiences to estimate how much more effort their employees could expend, or how much more productive their employees could be if they really were motivated, the average answer we get is 30 percent! How do you account for that missing third? Where did it go? Why doesn’t it come to work? Because all labor is emotional labor and folks who are not emotionally connected to the job are leaving their most valuable contribution at home.

The truly great organizations (departments, families or teams) are emotionally charged. Last week, John Lowe came to the office to give me a physical for an insurance policy. Mr. Lowe is known locally as a tough, high school football referee. As he stuck little suction cups to various body parts, we talked football. More specifically, we talked about the emotional content of the game.

He said, "You know before the kick-off which team is going to win." My ears perked up, "You do?"

"The team that has the discipline almost always wins even if the other team has the skill and physical advantage."

From here I’ll paraphrase. The team that is emotionally "present" and invested has an advantage that is almost unbeatable. Mr. Lowe cited a contest between two local high school rivals. One of our local teams came onto the field arguing amongst themselves and their coaches. There was profanity and other negative language. Their opponents took the field fired up. When their coach spoke, it was always, "Yes, sir!" or "No, sir!" There was no profanity, negative talk or dissension. However the boys were, without doubt, outclassed by their bigger, more experienced opponents. Yet as Mr. Lowe put it, "They went through the other team like Grant took Richmond."

Emotional labor may have added 30 percent to the size of the line and 30 percent to the mental acuity of the receivers. Who knows how much?

And who knows how much it could be doing for you?


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T. Scott Gross. All right reserved. For information contact Frog Pond at 800.704.FROG(3764) or email susie@frogpond.com.